--- title: Musk in Oval Office Deflects Questions About Drug Use description: Elon Musk’s final hours working for President Donald Trump were spent in part by deflecting questions about his drug use, canonical: https://time.com/7290129/elon-musk-drug-use-trump-oval-office/ author: Nik Popli article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-05-30T19:28:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2025-05-30T21:12:34.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: 'Let's Move On': Musk Deflects Questions About Drug Use og:description: Elon Musk’s final hours working for President Donald Trump were spent in part by deflecting questions about his drug use og:url: https://time.com/7290129/elon-musk-drug-use-trump-oval-office/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte1469a63effdefca/6998c71083ec372161c7aa1a/GettyImages-2217849689.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: President Trump Holds Press Conference With Elon Musk in White House's Oval Office og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'Let's Move On': Musk Deflects Questions About Drug Use twitter:description: Elon Musk’s final hours working for President Donald Trump were spent in part by deflecting questions about his drug use twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte1469a63effdefca/6998c71083ec372161c7aa1a/GettyImages-2217849689.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # White House Deflects Questions Raised About Musk's Alleged Drug Use > Sponsored content. 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President Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, providing a cordial conclusion to a tumultuous tenure for the billionaire entrepreneur. Musk is leaving his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, and he'll be rededicating himself to running his businesses, including electric automaker Tesla, rocket company SpaceX and social media platform X._  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Updated: May 30, 2025 9:12 PM UTCPublished: May 30, 2025 7:28 PM UTC President Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, providing a cordial conclusion to a tumultuous tenure for the billionaire entrepreneur. Musk is leaving his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, and he'll be rededicating himself to running his businesses, including electric automaker Tesla, rocket company SpaceX and social media platform X.  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Updated: May 30, 2025 9:12 PM UTCPublished: May 30, 2025 7:28 PM UTC Elon Musk’s final hours working for President Donald Trump were spent in part by deflecting questions about his drug use, which a [New York _Times_ investigation](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/us/elon-musk-drugs-children-trump.html) on Friday revealed was far more extensive than previously known. Standing beside Trump in the Oval Office to mark his last day in government, Musk cut off a reporter for even mentioning the New York _Times’_ reported allegations that he regularly consumed ketamine, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms while traveling with Trump on the campaign trail last year. “The New York _Times_. Is that the same publication that got a Pulitzer Prize for false reporting on Russiagate?” Musk said when asked about the report, alluding to conservative criticism of the Times' coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 US election. “Let’s move on.” Musk has had a [ubiquitous presence](https://time.com/7213409/elon-musk-us-government-trump/) at the White House over the past year, attending Cabinet meetings, appearing regularly with Trump in the Oval Office, and serving as the public face of the [Department of Government Efficiency](https://time.com/7222251/doge-musk-federal-workers-government/), a network of engineers tasked with rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse from the federal government. His role, while technically unpaid and temporary, grew in both scope and influence—often bypassing traditional bureaucratic channels. But as Musk’s visibility rose, so did concerns about his behavior behind the scenes. The _Times_ report described an increasingly erratic figure whose drug use went far beyond the occasional ketamine prescription he had previously disclosed. According to people familiar with his activities, he told associates that he was taking so much ketamine that it was damaging his bladder, a known consequence of chronic abuse. He also traveled with a daily medication box filled with roughly 20 pills, including Adderall, The _Times_ reported. It remains unclear whether Musk was under the influence while in his government role. But some critics have noted his erratic behavior, such as his Nazi-like gesture at a rally, garbled answers during interviews, and frequent insults of top Trump officials. The White House declined to comment directly on the matter. Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told reporters Friday that he has no concerns over Musk’s alleged drug use. “The drugs I’m concerned about are the drugs that are coming across the border from the criminal cartels that are killing hundreds of thousands of Americans,” Miller said. Musk has previously admitted his history of recreational drug use. In a 2024 [interview](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/business/media/elon-musk-don-lemon-interview.html) with Don Lemon, he acknowledged he took “a small amount” of prescribed ketamine to treat negative moods about once every two weeks, but that his heavy workload prevented him from using it too much. “If you’ve used too much ketamine, you can’t really get work done, and I have a lot of work,” he said. Musk announced on Friday that he plans to continue advising Trump and the U.S. DOGE Service even after he formally departs the government to focus more on his companies, which include Tesla and SpaceX, among others. During his time in the government, Musk oversaw DOGE’s sweeping cuts to the federal workforce as part of the Trump Administration’s efforts to vastly reduce federal spending. He had initially sought to cut $2 trillion from the nation’s roughly $6.8 trillion federal budget, before walking back that figure. DOGE’s website claims it has secured $175 billion in estimated savings, but [media outlets](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doge-wall-of-receipts-misleading-inaccurate-claims/) have found its assertions to be exaggerated and misleading. TIME has not been able to independently verify those savings. “I expect to continue to provide advice, whenever the President would like advice,” Musk said on Friday. “I hope so,” Trump chimed in. “I expect to remain a friend and an adviser,' Musk added, "and certainly, if there’s anything the President wants me to do, I’m at the President’s service." ## Transcript [00:00] Today. It's about a man named Elon, [00:03] and he's one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced. [00:08] He stepped forward to put his very great talents into the service of our nation, [00:14] and we appreciate it. [00:15] And I just want to say that Elon has worked tirelessly helping lead [00:20] the most sweeping and consequential government reform program in generations. [00:25] And, you know, the kinds of things that he's, [00:27] uh, he's found and his people have found. [00:29] He's brought a group of very smart people in, [00:32] and they found things that are pretty unbelievable. [00:35] And I gave him a little special something we have here, [00:38] a very special that I give to very special people. [00:43] I have given it to some, [00:45] but it goes to very special people. [00:47] And I thought I'd, I'd give it to Elon as a presentation from our country. [00:52] Thank you. Thank you. Ellen. Thank you. Take care of you, sir. [00:55] Thank you. Thank you. [00:58] Well, let me say a few words. [01:00] Um, that this is not the end of Doge, but really the beginning. [01:04] Um, my time as a special government employee necessarily had to end. [01:08] It was a limited time thing. [01:09] It's 134 days, I believe, [01:11] which ends in a few days. [01:12] So, uh, so that, [01:15] uh, you know, it comes with a time limit. [01:16] Um, and, uh, but the Doge team will only grow stronger over time. [01:21] Um, the doge influence will only grow stronger. [01:23] It's, uh, I liken it to sort of Buddhism. [01:25] It's like a way of life. [01:27] Um, so it is permeating throughout the government, [01:30] and I'm confident that over time, [01:32] we'll see $1 trillion of savings, uh, [01:34] and reduction in $1 trillion of waste and fraud reduction. [01:39] And I'll be and I'll continue to, [01:41] to to be visiting here and be a friend and advisor to the president. [01:46] And I look forward to, you know, [01:48] times being back in this amazing room. [01:49] There is a New York Times report today that accuses you of blurring the line between. [01:54] It's the new New York Times. [01:55] Is that the same publication? [01:57] Uh, that, uh, got a Pulitzer Prize for, [02:01] uh, false reporting on on the Russiagate? [02:03] Uh, is it the same organization? [02:05] I think it is. [02:07] I think it. [02:08] Is. It is. [02:09] I think that I think the judge just ruled against [02:12] New York Times for their lies about the Russiagate hoax, [02:15] and that they might have to give back that Pulitzer Prize, [02:18] that New York Times. Let's move on. [02:21] Okay. Next question. [02:22] So do you expect to continue advising the president and Doge informally, [02:27] or are you going to sort of shift your focus entirely to your companies? [02:33] Well, I expect to continue to provide advice whenever the president would like advice. [02:38] I hope. [02:38] So. I mean, I'm yeah, [02:42] it's I expect to remain a friend and an advisor. [02:46] And certainly if there's anything the president wants me to do, [02:49] I'm at at the president's service. [02:52] What is your eye? Okay. What happened to your eye? [02:54] Notice there's a bruise there. [02:55] Well, it wasn't I wasn't anywhere near France. [02:58] So, um. But, uh. [03:02] What does that mean? [03:04] No. [03:05] I didn't notice his eyes. [03:06] First lady of France. I didn't notice. [03:09] So, uh. Yeah. No, I was just walking around with little X, [03:12] and I said, uh, [03:14] go ahead, punch me in the face. [03:15] And he did. Turns out even a five year old punched me in the in the face. Actually. [03:18] That was exited. [03:20] Yeah, X could do it if you knew X. [03:22] He. [03:23] Could his mom right. [03:23] Now. [03:24] But I didn't. I didn't really feel much at the time. [03:27] And then I guess it raises up, but I was just horsing around. 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