Elon Musk ducks question on drug use while stumping for Trump in 2024: ‘Let’s move on’

WASHINGTON — Elon Musk did not deny a report Friday that he regularly used illegal drugs while campaigning for President Trump ahead of the 2024 election, firmly saying “let’s move on, next question” when asked about his habit.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO joined Trump in the Oval Office for an event marking his final day as a special government employee in the Department of Government Efficiency — hours after the New York Times reported the 53-year-old was talking ketamine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms while lending his time and treasure to the future 47th president.

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“Is that the same publication that got a Pulitzer Prize for false reporting on Russiagate?” Musk shot back at a journalist who brought up the report.

“I think the judges ruled against their lies about the Russiagate hoax, and they might have to give back their Pulitzer Prize. That New York Times? Let’s move on,” Musk said as he and Trump laughed. 

Musk announced he was supporting Trump following a failed July 13 assassination attempt against the 45th president in Butler, Pa., but he was not a regular presence on the trail until the final weeks of the race. 

The South Africa-born entrepreneur served as a supporting act when Trump returned to Butler for a rally Oct. 5, famously jumping up and down in excitement on stage, joking that he was “dark MAGA” and predicting “this will be the last election” if the Republican did not win.

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Musk has often been accused of having undue influence over the president — and some on social media have speculated that he was under the influence of drugs when displaying erratic behavior. 

The billionaire had told CNN’s Don Lemon in March 2024 that he used ketamine about once every two weeks to battle his depression symptoms, but insisted he didn’t abuse the drug. 

“There are times when I have sort of a … negative chemical state in my brain, like depression I guess, or depression that’s not linked to any negative news, and ketamine is helpful for getting one out of the negative frame of mind,” he said at the time.

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“ If you use too much ketamine you can’t really get work done,” Musk added — while insisting he was “almost always” sober while posting on X at night, since he neither drinks nor knows “how to smoke pot.”

“From a standpoint of Wall Street, what matters is execution,” he told Lemon of concerns about the running of his companies. “Are you building value for investors? Tesla is worth about as much as the rest of the car industry combined … so from an investor standpoint, if there is something I’m taking, I should keep taking it.”

However, the Times reported that Musk was using ketamine more frequently than he let on, sometimes daily, and even mixed it with other drugs.

Around the time Musk endorsed Trump after the Butler shooting, the outlet added, he told acquaintances he was having bladder issues, apparently due to regular use of ketamine.

There is no evidence that Musk regularly used drugs as a special government employee, when he led DOGE in their controversial efforts to  eliminate “waste and fraud” from the federal government.

Friday marked the last day of the 130 Musk could work as a special government employee, though the White House has said he will continue to serve as an unofficial Trump adviser.