As the Trump administration completed its 100 days, one of the key members, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk, said that he had saved over $160 billion while enjoying late-night ice cream from the kitchen, working from a diminutive office, and developing a close relationship with President Donald Trump.
On Wednesday evening, Musk, while giving a sneak peek about his first 100 days as a special government employee, revealed that he had slept in the White House’s Lincoln bedroom multiple times.
“The president, we’re good friends, and we’ll be on Air Force One, or Marine One, and he’ll be like, ‘do you want to stay over?’ and I’ll be like, ‘sure,’ and he’ll send me to the Lincoln bedroom.”
He also revealed that Trump gave him a tour of the Lincoln bedroom, and told him all the history.
“And then, he’ll actually call me late night and say, ‘by the way, make sure you get ice cream from the kitchen,” Musk recalled. “I ate a whole tub of ice cream—caramel. Häagen-Dazs.” Musk laughed, “Yeah, it’s epic.”
“Don’t tell RFK I ate a whole tub,” Musk laughed. “The president is a very good host, and he said, make sure you have some of the ice cream, and I said OK. I went to the kitchen and got some ice cream.”
His position permitted government employment “no more than 130 days in a 365-day period”, according to Office of Government Ethics records. Musk described the initial period as particularly demanding, often requiring his presence in Washington, DC. “7 days a week, or close to 7 days a week.”
‘Like my comically tiny office upstairs’
While working as the DOGE chief, Musk revealed that he was given a small office in the White House, which he intended to keep.
“I’m keeping my micro-office,” Musk said. Giving an insight view oof the room, Musk said that the room is on the top floor and it has a window but no use as one can only see HVAC unit. “I guess it’s harder to shoot me—there’s not a good line of sight in there.”
“I like my comically tiny office upstairs,” Musk said, adding that, while it is tiny, he has “the biggest monitor,” where he views “important information—secret stuff.” Musk admitted, though, that he has “occasionally played a video game.”
‘We are just Democrats from the 90s who got teleported into 2025’
Regarding DOGE, Musk expressed satisfaction with their achievements, whilst acknowledging they haven’t reached his desired level of effectiveness.
Musk drew parallels between DOGE’s messaging and Clinton-Gore speeches, noting their striking similarities. He observed that distinguishing between DOGE’s statements and Clinton-Gore transcripts would prove challenging due to their identical nature.
He characterised their group as “90s Democrats transported to 2025.”
Musk elaborated on the political evolution, stating that the Democratic Party had shifted away from their positions rather than vice versa. He emphasised their fundamental objectives: safe cities, secure borders, and prudent spending, which he described as previously Democratic stances that represent common sense.
Discussing his initial 100-day period, Musk described the necessity for intense engagement during the first quarter to comprehend and outline governmental operations.
He explained that understanding the complex federal government structure and identifying areas of waste and fraud required three months of concentrated effort, alongside team building initiatives.
