President Donald Trump’s Cabinet meeting on Wednesday served as a gushing farewell to Elon Musk as the tech billionaire makes a hasty retreat from Washington.
Despite having his bags packed to get out of town, Musk was in attendance for the gathering at the White House to mark 100 days of Trump’s second term.
“We all want to thank you for your help,” Trump told Musk. “You really have sacrificed a lot.”
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The president told the world’s richest person that he has been treated “very unfairly” but has been a “tremendous help.”
“You know you’re invited to stay as long as you want,” Trump said.
“He wants to get back home to his cars,” the president added as Musk received a round of applause.
Musk’s departure comes as Tesla’s profits have dropped 71 percent amid a backlash over his work at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
But his effort to root out government waste, fraud and abuse came up dramatically short.
The tech billionaire was tasked with cutting $2 trillion in government spending, but Trump said on Wednesday that DOGE has found $150 billion in savings, a far cry from Musk’s goal as he flees town.
During his tenure in Washington, Musk clashed with multiple Cabinet officials, but he offered nothing but praise on Wednesday, saying it was an honor to work with them.
He also suggested the Trump administration could be the “greatest administration” since the founding of the country.
As Trump came to Musk, the 53-year-old had on two hats including a “Gulf of America” hat over his usual black DOGE cap.
The “Gulf of America” hats had been placed placed on the table in front of every official as the president attempts to rebrand the Gulf of Mexico despite ridicule from around the world.
Musk was the only attendee to don one of the caps during the gathering.
“Elon, I love the double hat by the way,” Trump said as he called on him. “He’s the only one who could do that, and get away with it.”
“Well Mr. President, as I say I wear a lot of hats,” Musk responded. “Even my hat has a hat.”
As Trump Cabinet members went around the room to speak on Wednesday, many took the time to praise Musk’s work.
“Thank you to DOGE and to the government efficiency,” declared Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
The lavishing of praise on the tech billionaire and his DOGE team was second only to sucking up to Trump on Wednesday.
Over the course of the meeting each Cabinet member went around the room touting the administration’s work in its first 100 days while blasting former President Joe Biden and blaming their predecessors for challenges they’ve faced so far.
“Congratulations to everyone on 100 days... It’s unparalleled in my memory, and best I can tell ever,” said chief of staff Susie Wiles who Trump dubbed “the most powerful women in the world.”
“It’s been a momentous 100 days with you at the helm,’ gushed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
“Your first 100 days has far exceeded that of any other presidency in this country,’ Attorney General Pam Bondi told the president.
She also touted the arrest of nine suspects for burning Teslas as Musk’s cars have been targeted on multiple occasions during his time as Trump’s “first buddy.”
The meeting came as new economic data released on Wednesday showed the economy shrank in the first quarter of the year as imports surged amid uncertainty ahead of the president’s tariff plans.
Members of the Trump administration spent the entire morning claiming that the new data was actually “positive” news for the economy while also attempting to blame President Joe Biden for a drag on economic growth.
During the meeting, Trump insisted he had taken over Biden’s “mess” when it comes to the economy and suggested his administration should “get a pass” for the first month of the year as he came into office on January 20.
