'This is chainsaw for bureaucracy' — Elon Musk displays Milei's gift

Elon Musk, the billionaire tasked with slashing US federal government spending, took to the stage at a conservative conference outside Washington with a gift from Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei: a chainsaw.

"This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy," said Musk, holding the gleaming power tool aloft at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland on Thursday.

The red metallic chainsaw, given to Musk by Milei earlier in the day, was engraved on its side with the Argentine leader's coarse Spanish slogan: "Viva la libertad, carajo," which loosely translates to "Long live freedom, damn it!"

Before Milei became Argentina's president in late 2023, he would often brandish a chainsaw at campaign rallies as a symbol of his drive to cut the size of government.

'He can’t afford me'

Musk is leading sweeping cuts under US President Donald Trump that have targeted bank regulators, forest workers, rocket scientists, and tens of thousands of other government employees.

On Thursday, 6,000 employees at the US Internal Revenue Service were told they would be fired, a person familiar with the matter said.

During the sit-down with Newsmax's Rob Schmitt, Musk cut in during a question about Russia-Ukraine war, quipping, "People say I'm a bought asset of Putin? I'm like, he can't afford me."

Asked about the criticism Trump has received over his approach to ending the war, the tech Mogul said, "I think we should have empathy for the people dying at the front lines. That’s the most important thing."