“I was just horsing around with little X,” Musk said, referring to his young son. “I said, ‘go ahead, punch me in the face,’ and he did. It turns out that even a five-year-old punching you in the face [can do some damage].”

Musk began the exchange by making a joke about French President Emmanuel Macron getting shoved by his wife, saying, “I wasn’t anywhere near France.”

The jab fell flat, but Trump tried to lighten the mood again by saying that those who know X know he can give someone a black eye.

On more serious matters, Trump thanked Musk for his work with the Department of Government Efficiency and promised the job was not over.

“Today it’s about a man named Elon, and he’s one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced,” Trump said. “He stepped forward to put his very great talents into the service of our nation, and we appreciate it.”

DOGE was the biggest story in Washington during January and February, as thousands of layoffs hit various federal agencies, turning Musk into a polarizing figure and leading opponents to target his Tesla car dealerships.

In that sense, the black eye Musk sported Friday could be seen as a metaphor for the political beating he’s taken since Jan. 20. He fell far short of finding a trillion dollars in DOGE cuts, with about $175 billion to date. His swift government work with a tech team came with mistakes, such as canceling the programs fighting an Ebola outbreak, and a flurry of lawsuits to stop federal employee layoffs and program cuts.

His involvement in GOP politics, funneling millions into the 2024 election to support Trump and the unsuccessful effort to elect a conservative judge to the Wisconsin Supreme Court this year, made him a regular target for Democrats’ protests.

However, the end of Musk’s tenure came with a whimper, as he criticized Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” for undermining his team’s efforts at cost-cutting. Trump tried to give Musk a proper send-off with the Friday afternoon presser, which included the gift of a special White House gold key.

.@POTUS presents @elonmusk with a gold White House key as a gift for his service as a special government employee. pic.twitter.com/vmpp3RcSTm

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 30, 2025

“Many of the DOGE people are staying behind too, so they’re not leaving, and Elon is really not leaving,” Trump said. “He’s going to be back and forth, I think. I have a feeling. It’s his baby.”

Nonetheless, most of the hourlong Oval Office sendoff centered on Trump, who did the bulk of the speaking and answered most of the press’s questions.

Musk chimed in a few times, outlining what he considers to be the failure of his political opponents.

“I think the fundamental moral flaw of the Left is empathy for the criminals and not empathy for the victims,” Musk said, repeating the point for emphasis.

Musk also joined Trump in criticizing the courts for trying to thwart DOGE cuts and executive actions, including tariffs and migrant deportations.

“There’s been immense judicial overreach that is unconstitutional, that was never intended, and it’s undermining people’s faith in the legal system,” Musk said. “It needs to stop. It’s gone too far.”

He responded to a question about a New York Times story alleging drug use by saying it was the same paper that won a Pulitzer Prize for “false reporting on Russiagate.”

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Musk promised that DOGE is still in its beginning phase rather than its ending, saying the team will grow stronger over time.

“I liken it to Buddhism — it’s like a way of life,” Musk said. “It is permeating throughout the government, and I’m confident that over time we’ll see $1 trillion in savings.”