I cannot describe how strange Elon Musk’s CPAC appearance was

Elon Musk said astatine the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) connected Thursday, giving a unusual and often inarticulate on-stage question and reply to Newsmax presenter Rob Schmitt. Schmitt was each smiles and enthusiasm, and managed to steer Musk done the half hour, ne'er pausing to look backmost connected the evident logical inconsistencies, various falsehoods, and mathematical errors that littered the interview. He moreover did a decent occupation of keeping the full timeslot from devolving into net memes, though he couldn’t extremity Musk from loudly pronouncing “I americium go meme.” Still, the CPAC crowd ate it up.

The pursuing is simply a transcript created from CPAC’s ain livestream of the event. This is, I emphasize, not a parody.

Flashing lights, ample screens ablaze pinch animated graphics reminiscent of the oughties. The CPAC logo spins astir arsenic generic rap-rock blasts crossed the crowd.

Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s clip for the DOGE update. Please invited Newsmax host, Rob Schmitt.

Schmitt: Man. That is simply a large crowd. And they are not present for me.

Crowd cheers.

Schmitt: How you guys doing? Nice vibe this month, right? After the champion period we’ve ever had. Nice to spot you. Thanks for coming out. It’s bully to spot you. Let’s not termination immoderate much time, let’s bring retired Elon Musk.

Crowd goes wild. Elon Musk enters stage, pumping some fists precocious successful the air, stepping somewhat unsteadily. He is wearing a achromatic MAGA shot headdress and sunglasses that look for illustration they were bought successful a state position successful 1989. He continues to pump his fists arsenic he makes his measurement successful beforehand of the beige limb chairs astatine the beforehand of the stage. Rob Schmitt attempts to get his attention, but he turns and waves astatine the crowd.

Schmitt: We’ve sewage 1 much surprise, successful lawsuit this wasn’t enough.

Musk: Well, President, uh, President Milei has a gift for me.

Schmitt: [hamming astatine camera] Javier Milei from Argentina, you guys cognize who that is, right?

Milei, a friendly-looking fig who resembles Bilbo Baggins correct earlier he Smeagolifies, enters the shape carrying a chainsaw. He presents the chainsaw to the billionaire, who past waves it astir unsteadily.

Musk: This… is… the chainsaw for bureaucracy. [pumps the chainsaw successful the air] CHAINSAAAW!

He takes a hit to analyse the chainsaw. He is still wearing his sunglasses. He turns astir and starts wandering to the different broadside of the stage, waving the chainsaw around.

Musk: Uwaaauwaargh!

Milei lurks awkwardly successful the background, trying to activity goodbye to Musk, earlier Schmitt takes notice.

Schmitt: Mr. President, convey you truthful much. Nice to meet you. I emotion it. We emotion it.

Musk’s attraction snaps to Milei. The 2 men shingle hands pinch the Argentinian president, who past departs.

Musk: Where should we put this —

Schmitt: They want it correct here. [moves the chainsaw] A small shape prop.

Crowd screams for Elon Musk.

Musk: I emotion you guys too!

Schmitt: Thanks guys. Have a seat.

The 2 men settee into the armchairs.

Schmitt: So, uh. Heheh. That was something.

Musk: [ineffectually suppressing grin] I americium go meme.

Schmitt chuckles obsequiously.

Musk: Yeah. Pretty much. I was surviving the meme. It’s conscionable — I was surviving the dream, and I was surviving the meme, and that’s, beautiful overmuch what’s happening.

Schmitt: It’s —

Musk: I mean, DOGE started retired arsenic a meme. Think astir it! [laughs] Now it’s real!

Schmitt: [smiling affably] So —

Musk: [to audience, sunglasses still on] Isn’t that crazy!

Schmitt: It is, it is crazy.

Musk: But it’s cool.

Schmitt: Let maine inquire you this. A twelvemonth ago, if personification had told you you’d beryllium astatine CPAC and moving pinch the president to perfectly shred [dramatic pause] the authorities — the swamp — immoderate you want to telephone it. Would you judge that?

Musk: No. [snickers] But it’s cool! This is awesome. And I conscionable wanna say, acknowledgment for your support, I mean.

Crowd cheers.

Musk: You guys are. You know. We’re, you know, we’re trying to get bully things done, but also, like, you know, person a bully clip doing it and, uh, you know, and have, like, a consciousness of humor.

Crowd cheers.

Musk: You know. So, like, I mean, the benignant of the near wanted to make drama illegal, you know, you can’t make nosy of anything. So this is, like, drama suuuuuucks. It’s like, nothing’s funny. You can’t make nosy of anything.

He waves his arms truthful emphatically that the ample golden concatenation he’s wearing clanks against his mic.

Musk: It’s like, LEGALIZE COMEDY! YEEEAH! Legalize Comedy!

Schmitt: And we’ve shifted the full civilization successful conscionable the past fewer months, the full civilization of this state has shifted dramatically conscionable because of that election.

Musk: Yeah, exactly. Freedom of speech, having nosy again, it seems for illustration we should… We should person a bully time. You know?

Schmitt: I mean, it’s a awesome time. Everybody successful this spot is truthful excited, and I haven’t, I mean, erstwhile you talk to conservatives, everybody’s happy.

Musk: [nodding emphatically] Yeah.

Schmitt: And everybody feels this awesome consciousness of relief, because we were going to hellhole for astir 4 years.

Musk: Yeah.

Schmitt: It really felt bad, particularly toward the end, it felt really bad.

Musk: [still nodding] Yeah. I mean, I thought, I thought we were benignant of heading for a constituent of nary return really, you know, until, um, that’s why it was truthful basal that President Trump triumph the predetermination and, and that there, location beryllium a Republican mostly successful the House and Senate, which, acknowledgment to you [gestures mostly astatine CPAC audience] that, that has been accomplished. Yeah.

Schmitt: I want to inquire you, 1 of the biggest questions I person for you is — you’ve been, you know, politically, you weren’t really connected 1 broadside aliases the different for a agelong time. You were a businessman, a batch of people, they enactment distant from it now. You’re connected a side, you’ve chosen a side. You’re sitting present successful a MAGA hat. How did that happen? What was the moment?

Musk: It’s like, you know, acheronian gothic MAGA. [preens complete his hat, which features MAKE AMERICA GREAT successful a blackletter typeface]

Schmitt: That’s a bully one. Was location a circumstantial moment? Was location a infinitesimal that it each changed?

Musk: Yeah, erstwhile I realized I was a fool.

He laughs, and his concatenation clanks against his mic again.

Musk: But no, I was, I guess, uh… yeah, I mean, I’d say, I was like, politically neutral for, for rather a while. You know. You know, leaning a small Democrat. You know. [winces theatrically]

Schmitt: So past really do you spell from that to this? [points astatine CPAC audience]

Musk: [sigh] Well, uh, it —

Schmitt: Did they spell crazy?

Musk: [laughs] Yeah, they did — they did spell crazy. I mean that full cancel civilization and, you know, trying to, trying to extremity state of speech, and um, infringe upon, conscionable successful general, infringe upon people’s individual freedoms. You know, they conscionable want authorities control, authorities power of what you say… They wanna, they wanna, you know, return distant your guns, and the logic they wanna return distant your guns, is like, truthful there’s thing you tin do to reason them. So it’s benignant of like, you know, I just, I just, I conscionable like. We, we, we, we conscionable request to reconstruct the basal elements of what made America great, which is, uh, state and opportunity.

Crowd cheers.

Schmitt: We’re seeing a batch of these freedoms disappearing successful the West. It’s not conscionable astir America. We’re watching, we’re each watching Europe and knowing that they’re astir 50, 100 years up of us, right? Because they sewage an early start, and we’re watching really they’re devolving, and you’re trying to prevention it from happening here.

Musk: I mean, successful Europe, they put group successful situation for memes. Yeah. You know, I’m like, that’s insane.

Schmitt: They’re collapsing. They’re a collapsing society. It feels that way.

Musk: It… feels… like…

Schmitt: France was nicer 50 years agone than this.

Musk: Yeah.

Schmitt: I don’t deliberation you tin mobility it.

Musk: Yeah. Um. so. Yeah. So. Yeah. I mean. Really.

He appears to beryllium trying to commencement a sentence. Eventually he breaks down laughing. Someone successful the crowd cheers, he turns to them.

Musk: Yeah, I emotion you too! I mean. I really, I really, I really conscionable want to do useful things, like, you know, fundamentally build products, you know, supply products and services that are that are bully and I wasn’t really that willing successful being political. It, just, like, location was a definite point, nary choice. Yeah. So, yeah.

Schmitt: Can I inquire you — connected the aforesaid broadside of that coin — what’s it for illustration going from neutral to being vilified, mostly vilified by the media? I deliberation you’re —

Musk: What? No. Really? HANHHANHHHAHA!

Schmitt: I mean, move connected immoderate of these channels, brother. I mean, they’re angry astatine you. Does it fuss you astatine all?

Musk: I mean, were they chanting for my death? I suppose that’s a little, you know… like, the song’s not moreover that gooooood. And it’s like, it’s like, you telephone that a decease chant? [wriggles torso while seated] That’s noooothing, pleeease.

Schmitt: They’ve been singing a batch lately. There’s a batch of euphony lately. It’s not bully euphony either. Yeah, yeah. I would opportunity that they’re, you know, watching what you’re doing pinch DOGE is conscionable that — group love it.

Crowd cheers.

Schmitt: I mean, I’ve ever looked astatine the authorities and… I’ve ever looked astatine the government. I’ve seen this large instrumentality that, and you conscionable cognize that they discarded because they don’t care. Nobody could. There’s much money coming. They don’t care. You’re cutting each this out. Everybody successful this state knows that the authorities is afloat of waste, fraud, and abuse, and you’re doing the work, and the Americans emotion it. Watching their guidance politically to this, I can’t judge really bad they are responding to this. I don’t cognize really you’re going to beryllium location and shriek and kick because they’re cutting discarded retired of the authorities and effort to triumph different election. How do you effort to triumph connected that?

Musk: Well, astatine this point, I’m like, I’m not judge really overmuch of the near is moreover real.

Schmitt: Like, really overmuch was propped up by our money?

Musk: Yeah, you see, like, these, these benignant of clone rallies pinch hardly immoderate group and the media will, like, framework it, [making a rectangle pinch his fingers] and like, you know, get each six group you know, successful the frame, but it’s like, cipher other is there, like, just, it doesn’t person celebrated support, um. But there’s, but then, but past you study that, like, there’s hundreds of billions of dollars going to these alleged NGOs, and that, and it’s your taxation dollars that are backing things that are fundamentally anti-American.

Schmitt: And they’re propping up their narrative. A batch of that authorities money has been propping up a near that I don’t deliberation is, I don’t deliberation is arsenic beardown arsenic they made it seem.

Musk: In fact, a monolithic magnitude of your taxation dollars is going to bequest media companies, straight from the from, from the government.

Schmitt: The authorities wants to return complete media.

Crowd boos.

Musk: Yeah, it’s terrible.

Schmitt: Yeah, that’s why we person X.

Musk: Yeah! And that’s —

Schmitt: That’s why you spent $44 cardinal — I mean, there’s a batch of money. More than it was astir apt worth, but it had, location was a message.

Musk: Freedom is priceless. [nods sagely arsenic crowd goes wild]

Schmitt: Probably 1 of the astir important investments this country’s ever seen. If you gotta protect the First Amendment, it’s not overmuch much important than that.

Musk: Yeah. I mean, I sewage a batch of criticism, and people, people, said, well, that proves he’s a immense idiot from a, you know, like, look, he bought it for for illustration whatever, $44 cardinal and now it’s worth, like, 8 cents.

Schmitt: And it’s not worthy 8 cents!

Musk: You know, there’s that, but, but yeah, it was fundamentally to, you know, buy…. freedom… of expression. And —

Schmitt: Once’s that’s gone it’s each over, each over, yeah, tyranny is really speedy aft that.

Musk: Yeah. I mean, like, you know. All the benignant of national money going to media companies is what, what helps explicate why the bequest media each says the aforesaid point astatine the aforesaid time. Yeah, like, isn’t it, like, it’s like, weird, like, you put them up with, like, you know, like, when…

Schmitt: [jumping in] They’re mouthpieces for…

Musk: For the state! Yes.

The billionaire, who owns a societal media platform, and is supposedly besides a national official, nods.

Schmitt: That’s what we’ve travel to know. Yeah, scary.

Musk: Yeah. I for illustration the taxable pinch it, where, where, where, because they’re ever saying, like, threat to our democracy, threat to our democracy, but if you conscionable replaced populist pinch bureaucracy…. It makes a batch of sense.

Schmitt: Makes cleanable sense.

Musk: [smirking] Big threat to the bureaucracy.

Schmitt: That’s precisely right. Let’s talk about, let’s talk astir these DOGE dividend checks that everybody’s talking astir this week. And I cognize you tweeted retired that you’re gonna because [turns to audience] Does everybody want, like, a $5,000 cheque successful the mail? That sounds benignant of good, right?

Crowd cheers.

Schmitt: And the champion portion astir it would beryllium knowing wherever it came from, that that’s 5 expansive that you sent them past year.

Musk: Totally, it’s money that’s taken distant from, from things that are destructive to the country, that and from organizations that dislike you, to you. That’s awesome.

Schmitt: Does it look for illustration —

Musk: I mean that’s like, glorious. [laughs] The spoils of battle, you know?

Schmitt: Is location traction connected that?

Musk: Yeah, yeah. So yeah. [inaudible] …the president. He’s supportive of that. And truthful it sounds like, you know, that’s thing we’re going to do. So arsenic we’re uncovering savings, that’s going to construe straight to reductions successful tax. Yeah.

Crowd cheers.

Schmitt: I mean, I deliberation they fired 6,000 group astatine the IRS today, and I think, they said past nighttime that they’re talking astir shutting down the IRS.

Crowd cheers moreover more.

Schmitt: I deliberation it’s fair. I deliberation group should recognize this is, I mean, the magnitude of money that we said we nonstop Washington, for illustration 5 aliases six trillion a year, that is specified an ungodly magnitude of money. I mean, like, a trillion seconds, is for illustration 30 years aliases thing for illustration that. I mean, that’s really overmuch we nonstop them. And they look to ne'er person enough. There must beryllium a batch you tin cut.

Musk: No, absolutely. People inquire me, What’s the astir astonishing point that you’ve encountered erstwhile you spell to DC? You know, we’re successful DC. And I said, well, the astir astonishing point is the standard of the expenditures, and actually, uh, really easy it is to pinch a just, conscionable erstwhile you adhd caring and competence, wherever location was absent earlier you tin really prevention billions of dollars sometimes in, successful an hour. Yeah, like, it’s wild.

Schmitt: And past they scoff astatine it and say, oh, a fewer cardinal present there. I mean, the measurement they’re talking astir it, they, you tin spot they don’t care. It’s truthful it’s specified small money compared to really overmuch they’re utilized to wasting. That’s what’s really scary.

Musk: Um, yeah, no, exactly. But evidently it’s, it’s, it conscionable shows that they really deficiency empathy for the mean payer who’s moving hard, paying, paying taxes, and then, and past they say, oh, a cardinal dollars doesn’t matter. I’m like, I deliberation it matters a batch to group you know. So what are you talking about?

Schmitt: I’d for illustration to person it. Let maine inquire you a question. You know, I cognize the President reasonably well. Watched him past 2 assassination attempts. The second, had the first 1 not happened, the 2nd 1 would person gotten him, because without those other guys, they would person ne'er seen that weapon poking done the obstruction astatine the play course.

Musk: Isn’t it mind blowing that this has happened? I mean, and conscionable and what? By the way, why do we still cognize thing astir that feline successful Butler, what’s going on? But uh Kash is gonna get to the bottommost of it! Yeah! Woo! [pumps arms, but only astir halfway up]

Schmitt: Just a mates hours ago, I saw that the information item that you had travel successful pinch is enormous.

Musk: It’s not that enormous, possibly it should beryllium bigger.

Schmitt: It might. I deliberation you could astir apt spend it. But, I mean, really concerned are you astir your safety? I mean, it’s you. Are you? You are a wanted man. Are you? Are you?

Musk: So I look, I’m unfastened to ideas for improving security. I person to show you. Like I don’t actually person a decease wish. I think. But, you know, it’s not that easy. So, yeah, I mean, but I person for illustration that, moreover for illustration group for illustration President Bukele from El Salvador, who managed to put successful situation for illustration a 100,000, like, murderous thugs. And he was like, he called me. He’s like, I’m worried astir your security. I’m like, YOU’RE worried astir my security? Okay, you know. I mean, yeah.

Schmitt: Talk astir courage to do that down there.

Musk: I mean, yeah, totally.

Schmitt: And past survive.

Musk: Like, I’m like, I was like, really did you put each those thugs successful situation without dying, because things for illustration that would person been not easy. You know.

Schmitt: Well, there’s the President, arsenic 1 of his apical attorneys is now investigating, I conjecture Chuck Schumer, for threats against SCOTUS. Congress, connected the Democrats’ side, for saying, you know, fundamentally saying he’s gonna bring a warfare to you, for illustration a conflict to you. I mean, the rhetoric… you guys are screwing pinch things that are not expected to beryllium messed with.

Musk: We’re fighting [inaudible]

Schmitt: — a batch of group that really don’t want that to happen.

Musk: We’re fighting Matrix large clip here. It has sewage to beryllium done.

Schmitt: Yeah, and it surely does. [brushing complete the Matrix reference] What’s going connected pinch — show america astir Fort Knox. Kentucky. It’s a subject base. It’s a ton of gold, tons and tons and tons.

Musk: 5,000 tons of gold, something.

Schmitt: 5,000 are location successful the crushed and for illustration this. I mean, it’s a very unafraid thing.

Musk: I deliberation we each want to spot it.

Schmitt: I’d emotion to spot it for illustration this.

Musk: This is your gold, by the way. It’s the public’s gold.

Schmitt: Do you deliberation it’s not there?

Musk: I don’t know, but I deliberation I conscionable want to spot it. Yeah, we want to spell spot it and conscionable make sure. Like, make sure, like, did personification spray overgarment immoderate lead aliases something, you know, yeah, like, is this existent gold? You mightiness person to wound the bar. You know. But I think, honestly, you know, portion of this besides is conscionable like, let’s, you know, let’s person immoderate fun. And, you know, like, like, I said, this, each this golden astatine Fort Knox. It’s the public’s gold. It’s your gold. So, like, I deliberation you have, like, a correct to spot it.

Schmitt: And return a tour.

Musk: Yeah, I deliberation we should person a — do a — do a tour. And the President past nighttime was like, that’s, I deliberation he’s successful favour of it. That would beryllium cool. And past we, like, it should beryllium for illustration a unrecorded tour, like, you’ll spot what’s going on, unfastened the door, [gestures dramatically] like, what’s down it, well, and there’s, you know, I deliberation I’d watch that. Yeah.

Crowd goes wild.

Schmitt: I mean, what is, what is 5,000 tons of is it? Is it the size of this —

Musk: Gotta beryllium beautiful big, you know. It’s gotta beryllium a batch of different worldly successful there, like, around, like, I don’t even… sewage immoderate different worldly successful there.

Schmitt: Are you reasoning astir auditing the Federal Reserve arsenic well, which is evidently —

Musk: [laughs, shrugs] Yeah, sure.

Schmitt: — regulatory economy. I ideate you deliberation the discarded has sewage to beryllium everywhere.

Musk: Yeah, no, waste. Waste is beautiful overmuch everywhere. People ask, like, really tin you find waste? And, like, successful DC, I’m like, look, it’s for illustration being successful a room, and this target, the wall, the roofs and the level are each targets. So it’s like, you’re gonna adjacent your eyes and spell sprout successful immoderate guidance [laughs] you can’t miss, you know. So it’s, it’s beautiful wild, like, like, you conscionable push connected things a small bit, and you prevention billions of dollars, like, conscionable a small bit, you know, it’s wild.

Schmitt: Scary, isn’t it?

Musk: It’s why I opportunity like, it really is underrated, if you adhd caring and competence, really overmuch things improve. Yeah, and, you know, and we conscionable find truthful galore wholly crazy things, which, you know, evidently we’re sharing pinch the public. We station everything we learn, you know, conscionable you know, truthful you tin spot it, you know.

Schmitt: What do you —

Musk: It’s like, isn’t it? Like, it’s wholly wild. Like, we did just, we conscionable did, like, a cheque connected the database connected Social Security. Like, says, really many, a batch Americans, live Americans eligible for Social Security, are there? And according to the database, it’s complete 400 million. And we’re like, hold a second, and really galore are you again? Yeah. And then, like, we found, like, 1 personification successful location is, like, 306 years old. I’m like, [inaudible from crosstalk] I mean, yeah, you cognize this, America doesn’t beryllium earlier astatine that time. Like, so, why? So, you know, possibly it’s conscionable me, but I deliberation it’s a reddish flag. I don’t know.

Schmitt: But are location indications that location were checks going to those people, aliases immoderate of those people?

Musk opens his rima and pauses.

Musk: Well… yeeeeah.

Schmitt: I conjecture that’s the question.

Musk: That’s…

Schmitt: I get the Social Security Administration is dumb, but are they paying these people? Are they that dumb? I don’t know.

Musk: A bunch of money is going retired from the Social Security Administration, and, successful fact, from each entitlement programs.

Schmitt: $72 cardinal successful discarded successful for illustration 7 years. It’s $10 cardinal a year.

Musk: Well, I deliberation the unsmooth estimate from General — Government Accountability offices, there’s complete $500 cardinal successful 40 years.

Schmitt: [leans in] Sorry, five?

Musk: [enunciating] Five 100 bill-i-on.

Schmitt: Over really long?

Musk: Per year, per year.

Schmitt: On Social Security?

Musk: No, no, connected all, connected each —

Schmitt: On each government?

Musk: On each entitlements, each entitlements. Yeah, it benignant of really makes sense. When you look astatine the point from a apical level and say, like, okay, there’s $7 trillion of spending by the government. What percent do you deliberation is fraudulent? Okay, precisely for illustration a blimpish estimate of the $7 trillion would beryllium 10 percent. Conservative.

Schmitt: Probably higher than that, yeah, precisely for illustration a 4th each dollar, right?

Musk: But if the fraud is only 10 percent of $7 trillion, you’ve sewage $700 cardinal of fraud, and by the way, truthful it’s like, really easy to return advantage of the national government. Very easy.

The billionaire national contractor nods knowingly.

Schmitt: Look astatine COVID! Look astatine each these scams! I mean, it’s unbelievable!

Musk: It looks like, for, successful position of covid payments, yeah, location was thing for illustration $200 cardinal of covid costs fraud taken by fraudsters retired of the country. That’s like, I think, listen, if there’s going to beryllium fraud, it should astatine slightest beryllium home so, you know. But they managed to get $200 cardinal retired of the country. I’m like, what! Why didn’t we announcement that?

Schmitt: Let maine inquire you, let’s do migration present for a second. You know, there’s this move now that Trump’s latest point is that he cut, he’s going to trim backing immoderate benignant of money that ends up successful the hands of forbidden immigrants. So if you’re backing these sanctuary cities and states, that’s really they thrive, right? They’re paying for these hotels. That’s each national money. If you sewage a edifice successful your metropolis successful New York, you sewage each these hotels afloat of migrants. That’s not authorities money. That’s the feds are covering that, he’s going to trim each that. It’s really difficult to deport 15 cardinal people. And it seems for illustration the move now is, let’s make it truthful that they time off connected their own. If there’s nary longer a dole strategy for them, if they can’t get their hands connected edifice rooms and money, they’re going to spell back, particularly if there’s nary work.

Musk: Well, I deliberation it’s really important for group to understand that the Biden management sent immoderate imaginable money that they could, they could, if location was money they could nonstop to facilitate and amplify forbidden immigration, they sent it. Okay. They took money from FEMA meant for helping Americans successful distress, and sent that money to luxury hotels for forbidden immigrants successful New York. That is an outrage.

Loud booing.

Musk: They really did that, and not only that, moreover aft the President signed an executive bid saying it has to stop, the FEMA, the immoderate heavy authorities bureaucrats still pressed nonstop connected $80 cardinal past week to spell to the Roosevelt Hotel successful New York and different places past week. And now, and now, they’re huffy that they’ve sewage stopped, and they’re for illustration trying to writer to person it beryllium restored. It’s like, the gumption.

Schmitt: You deliberation they’re creating a caller elector class? You deliberation that was the goal? When they opened up the borders for 4 years, create a caller elector class, get them citizenship, get them in.

Musk: Yeah, a batch of these things like, you don’t really person to presume immoderate expansive conspiracy. You conscionable request to look astatine basal incentives. So if the incentives, fundamentally, if the probability that an forbidden is going to ballot Democrat astatine immoderate point, whether it’s cheating, but yet they tin go citizens. But if probability is for illustration 80, 90 percent conscionable look astatine California, which is ace mostly Dem. And past the inducement is to maximize the number of illegals successful the country. That is why the Biden management was pushing to get arsenic galore illegals arsenic imaginable and walk each dollar imaginable to get arsenic many. Because each 1 of them is simply a customer. Everyone is simply a voter. So the full point was a elephantine elector importation scam.

Schmitt: Pretty obvious.

Musk: Very obvious. And then, moreover, then, they really created the CBP One separator app point wherever they were, which is, like, wherever they could, they would virtually alert group in. It’s not like, like, astatine the constituent astatine which you know, group being flown successful astatine your disbursal —

Schmitt: — sending planes —

Musk: Like building a wall up doesn’t work.

Schmitt: They’re virtually flying them in. No different state successful the world would do thing for illustration this. Nobody is this stupid.

Musk: Yeah. And past we recovered that location was, for illustration $100 cardinal statement fixed to immoderate feline successful London, actually, while, you know, yeah, well, the CBP One app. So, truthful then, truthful they’re flying illegals into the plaything states. And if you’ve sewage like, a separator of triumph of possibly 20,000 people, and you alert 200,000 illegals into that state, it’s not gonna beryllium a plaything authorities for long.

Schmitt: Change the numbers. Maybe successful four, 8 years.

Musk: Exactly.

Schmitt: It’s a agelong game. It’s conscionable a matter of time.

Musk: So it mightiness take, like, a twelvemonth for an asylum seeker to get connected the greenish paper and 5 years for the citizenship, it’s an finance that is guaranteed to salary off. It’s conscionable a mobility of when.

Schmitt: They each retrieve who brought them successful and who near them here.

Musk: Exactly, exactly. I want to spell back. I want to talk astir my large woody like, I deliberation a batch of group like, don’t rather admit that this was an actual, existent scam astatine standard to tilt the scales of populist successful America.

Crowd claps, cheers.

Schmitt: Treason.

Musk: Treason.

Schmitt: One much Biden question. I retrieve when, you know, erstwhile they would do the electrical car stuff, they would ever effort to container you out, moreover though you person the only electrical car anybody wants.

Musk: Yeah.

Schmitt: You said, I deliberation this week that you deliberation that Biden near these astronauts up successful abstraction because he didn’t want to springiness you an opportunity to prevention them. Make NASA look bad, make the backstage assemblage look better, make you look good. You judge that?

Musk: Yeah, no, absolutely. So, of course.

Schmitt: I benignant of agree. Why would he want to fto you thief them travel down erstwhile you’re supporting the president?

Musk: The Biden management was, was attacking maine adjacent level. I mean, the Department of Justice — aliases Injustice, nether the Biden management — was, I mean, they were suing SpaceX. They’re suing SpaceX for not hiring asylum seekers. And we’re like, but it’s really forbidden for america to prosecute asylum seekers because we’re… rocket exertion is covered nether ITAR rules, which that intends it’s an precocious weapons technology, yeah. And truthful we tin only prosecute imperishable residents aliases greenish paper aliases citizens, right? Like, truthful we’re damned if we do, damned if we don’t. We said like, truthful really tin they writer america for not hiring asylum seekers erstwhile it’s really forbidden for america to do so. But nonetheless, location was a large Department of Justice aliases Injustice lawsuit astir this against SpaceX, truthful evidently it was an antagonistic situation, and those astronauts were expected to beryllium up location for 8 days, and now they’re up for 8 months. Does that make immoderate sense? And we, we, we, evidently could person brought them backmost sooner, but they didn’t want anyone who could support President Trump to look good. Basically.

Schmitt: Yeah.

Musk: That’s the, that’s the that’s the issue.

Schmitt: A batch of them are saying correct now that the logic that you want to get into Social Security, that you want to get into each of these different — into Treasury and things for illustration that, is that you’re looking for individual accusation and you’re trying to make much money.

Musk: Yeah.

Schmitt: I’ve ne'er met anybody arsenic rich | arsenic you that cared little astir money successful my life. Every clip I perceive a communicative astir you, you’re sleeping connected a sofa of immoderate different feline successful a metropolis that you could bargain the full thing. I don’t deliberation you attraction astir money, dude.

Musk: I mean, I, I, I. [laughs] Listen, for illustration if I bargain Social Security, I tin yet bargain bully things. Yeah?

Schmitt: And connected that aforesaid question, they’re besides talking about, you guys are going to extremity Social Security, you’re going to extremity Medicare, you’re going to extremity these things. I don’t ideate that speech has been had pinch the President, and that’s that’s the plan.

Musk: No, successful fact, the actions that we’re taking pinch the support of the President and the support of the agencies, is, what will prevention Medicare? What will prevention Social Security?

Crowd cheers.

Musk: And and, because if the state goes insolvent, if all, if each the money is conscionable spent connected paying liking connected debt, there’s nary money near for anything. Yeah, truthful that’s, that’s the logic I’m doing this, is because I looked astatine the large image here, and it’s like, man, our debt’s getting retired of control. The liking payments, liking connected the nationalist indebtedness now exceeds the full defense section budget.

Schmitt: A trillion a year. In interest, conscionable to transportation the money that we owe, is simply a trillion a year.

Musk: Yes.

Schmitt: Unbelievable.

Musk: Rising rapidly. So like, I mean, a country’s nary different from a person. Country overspends, state goes bankrupt. Same with, aforesaid arsenic a personification who overspends goes bankrupt. So it’s not for illustration optional to lick these things. It’s essential.

Schmitt: So we’re gonna spell bankrupt.

Musk: Yes.

Schmitt: We are.

Crowd claps.

Schmitt: Couple minutes near here. Russia, there’s a immense push —

Musk: Oh, yeah, yeah. People like, benignant of like, the end, like, yeah, you know, I’m a, I’m a bought plus of Putin, yeah, I’m like, he can’t spend me.

Schmitt: Yeah, I think, I deliberation you’re worthy much than Russia.

Musk: [mugging astatine crowd] Think astir it! [giggles]

Schmitt: So you’re trying to end, you’re trying to extremity a war. Ending a warfare ever intends you person to compromise. You person to discuss pinch an force aliases an adversary. That’s conscionable what it is. And correct now, they are lambasting the president for trying a different method to warfare that they haven’t been capable to extremity for 3 and a half years. Three years. Yeah, they, you know, they’re saying Trump’s blaming Zelensky for the invasion. How do you, really do you process each of the negativity toward him for trying to extremity this war?

Musk: Well, first of all, I deliberation we should person empathy for the group dying astatine the beforehand lines. That’s the astir important thing. If group person been dying, you know, like, really galore much years is this expected to spell on? And ideate if that was your son, your father, you know, what are they dying for? What precisely are they dying for? That statement has, the statement of engagement has hardly moved for 2 years. There’s a full bunch of group dormant successful trenches for what. And I’ll show you what for, what it’s for illustration for the biggest graft instrumentality that I’ve ever seen successful my life, that’s for what. It’s unreal, for illustration the magnitude of money that is being taken successful graft and bribery is disgusting. And truthful what’s really happening is that those, those you know, people, those mediocre guys, are getting sent into a nutrient grinder for money. That’s what’s really going on. And needs to stop.

Schmitt: Trump is truthful pragmatic connected this. He just, he’s conscionable looking astatine it, and he’s saying it’s Ukraine, it’s not our country, it’s not a NATO ally. I conscionable want to spot group not dying. I want to see, connected some sides, I mean, deliberation astir really galore young — truthful galore young men person died successful Ukraine that the service is starting to property out. The subject is aging out. You get 40 and 50 twelvemonth aged guys fighting successful a warfare because there’s cipher near that’s not killed aliases maimed successful their 20s. That’s the reality. Think astir really galore group that is, if you’re a humanitarian astatine all, you conscionable sewage to extremity the war, like, nary matter what, conscionable get it complete with.

Musk: Yes, people, they request to extremity dying and the graft machines sewage to stop, you know, so, and I deliberation group that don’t, a batch of group retired location don’t realize, like, the president has a batch of empathy. He really cares. You know, he’s good, he’s a bully man.

Crowd claps.

Schmitt: I sewage 1 much for you. I’ve been fascinated by you for a very agelong time.

Musk: Thanks.

Schmitt: I’ve just, I just, I’ve ne'er seen anybody that can, you know, do truthful galore things astatine the aforesaid time. I mean, you’ve sewage the rockets, you sewage the cars. I’ve ever wanted to inquire you, what is it for illustration wrong your mind, like, this, is it conscionable 1,000 miles an hour? I mean, are you —

Musk: Yeah.

Schmitt: Is it conscionable not? I mean, just, does it ever stop? Do you sleep? How overmuch do you sleep? Paint america a image of wrong of the mind of a genius? Like, really do you… tin you reply that question? It’s not an easy question.

Musk: I mean…

He pauses. He is still wearing the sunglasses, having ne'er taken them disconnected this full time.

Musk: My mind is simply a storm. So. It’s a storm.

He pauses again.

Musk: But, but, I mean, fto maine possibly show you thing like, you didn’t inquire the question, but, but I deliberation it’s worthy nonetheless, possibly conscionable elaborating connected something, which is, you know, I grew up successful South Africa and… but my morality was informed by America. I publication comic books, you know, played Dungeons & Dragons.

Very mini conception of crowd cheers.

Musk: And I watched American TV shows and, like, it seemed for illustration America cared astir being the bully guys, you know, astir doing the correct point and, and that’s really beautiful unusual, by the way. [laughs]

Schmitt: In the world, it’s very unusual. Yeah, it’s not like, actually, countries don’t do that.

Musk: No, they don’t, no. And truthful I was like, Yeah, you know, you want to beryllium this good. You want to beryllium connected the broadside of good. You want to attraction astir what’s right. And, and uh, yeah. So that’s, that’s, yeah, what I judge in.

Audience personnel screams that they emotion him.

Schmitt: I gave you, I gave you a reliable 1 astatine the end.

Musk: Yeah.

Schmitt: So yeah, that’s great. That’s great. [to crowd] Elon Musk.

Crowd goes wild. The camera zooms out, showing a opinionated ovation.

Musk: All right.

Schmitt: Thank you. Thank you truthful much. Appreciate you.

Elon Musk recommences wandering backmost and distant crossed the stage, waving the chainsaw. He pauses; an overseas rectangular style is bobbing done the crowd. It floats up towards Musk, he grabs it. It appears to beryllium a very ample instrumentality creation coating of Musk himself. He grabs the coating pinch 1 manus and the chainsaw pinch the other.

Musk: Thanks, guys!

They exit the stage.