During an Oval Office send-off Friday marking the end of his formal role with the Trump administration, Elon Musk lashed out when asked about a New York Times report alleging he was a frequent user of the drug ketamine during the 2024 campaign.
“The New York Times. Is that the same publication that got a Pulitzer Prize for false reporting on the Russiagate?” Musk asked while standing alongside President Trump, cutting off a question from Fox News reporter Peter Doocy about the Times. “Let’s move on.”
Musk’s remarks came on the same day that the Times reported he used ketamine — which can be used both recreationally and medically — as often as once a day in 2024. Musk has told people he took ketamine so frequently that it affected his bladder, and he has also used ecstasy and magic mushrooms at times, the paper said, citing unnamed sources.
CBS News has reached out to Musk and his spokesperson for comment.
Musk has said publicly he has a prescription for ketamine. But he told journalist Don Lemon last year he uses it infrequently, taking a “small amount once every other week” to help him get out of a “depressive mindstate.” He told Lemon he doesn’t feel he’s abused the drug, saying, “if you use too much ketamine, you can’t really get work done…and I have a lot of work.”
Musk also told Lemon that at times, weeks will go by without him using ketamine.
The Wall Street Journal reported last year that some Musk associates worry his reported drug use could harm his businesses, which include Tesla, SpaceX, social network X and several other firms. The billionaire has brushed off any concerns about the impact on his companies, telling Lemon, “what matters is execution.”
Musk has said he has a top-secret security clearance, which typically requires drug testing.
A hallucinogenic drug, ketamine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an anesthetic. The FDA says it has not authorized ketamine to treat psychiatric disorders, though one of the molecules that makes up ketamine can be administered under medical supervision to treat depression. It is also sometimes distributed illegally.
Ketamine can be “very dangerous” when used recreationally, Dr. Angelique Campen, an emergency room doctor in California, has previously told CBS News Los Angeles. The drug drew attention after it was partly blamed for the 2023 death of actor Matthew Perry.
The Oval Office back-and-forth came as Musk wrapped up his stint as a “special government employee” in the Trump administration, where he oversaw the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Musk and his team have swept through the government in recent months, slashing federal contracts and cutting staff — drawing applause from Trump allies and condemnation from opponents.
Musk had predicted he could cut $1 trillion from the federal budget, but the administration says DOGE has saved about $170 billion so far — though Musk predicted Friday the $1 trillion goal is still possible “over time.” Some of the cuts tallied by DOGE have contained errors, and one analysis estimates DOGE may end up costing the government hundreds of billions due to lost productivity and changes to federal workers’ status.
In recent days, Musk has criticized parts of Mr. Trump’s agenda. He told CBS News earlier this week he has some “differences of opinion” with the administration, and feels “a little stuck in a bind” when he disagrees. He also said he was “disappointed” by the price tag of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping Trump-backed bill passed by House Republicans last week.
But in Friday’s Oval Office event, Mr. Trump was laudatory of Musk, saying his role “has been without comparison in modern history.” Musk said he expects to keep visiting the White House and will serve as a “friend and adviser” to the president.
Weijia Jiang and
contributed to this report.
