Elon Musk, the billionaire leading efforts to slash U.S. federal government spending, appeared on stage at a conservative conference near Washington on Thursday holding a chainsaw gifted by Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei.
“This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” Musk declared, raising the shiny power tool at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.
The red metallic chainsaw, presented to Musk earlier that day by Milei, featured an engraving of the Argentine president’s bold Spanish slogan: “Viva la libertad, carajo,” translating to “Long live freedom, damn it!”
Musk is overseeing sweeping budget cuts under U.S. President Donald Trump, affecting sectors like banking regulation, forestry, space research, and leading to tens of thousands of government job losses.
On Thursday, 6,000 employees at the U.S. Internal Revenue Service were informed they would be laid off, according to a source familiar with the matter.
As the CEO of Tesla and the world’s richest man, Musk has openly praised Milei’s speeches and libertarian ideals.
Before taking office in late 2023, Milei famously wielded a chainsaw at campaign rallies to symbolize his commitment to drastically reducing the size of Argentina’s government.
