Argentine President Javier Milley gave Elon Musk, head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a chainsaw. Musk called the tool a weapon against bureaucracy.
During Musk's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Milley came on stage holding the chainsaw. The Argentine President handed the tool to Musk, who took the chainsaw, thanked Milley and shook his hand. Then he raised the tool high above his head.
„This is a chainsaw to fight bureaucracy! “Chainsaw“, Musk shouted, brandishing the tool.
The chainsaw became the main symbol of the election campaign of Milley, who took office as president on December 10, 2023. The head of Argentina advocates minimal state intervention in the economy and sees the solution to the country's economic problems in eliminating the budget deficit by cutting spending.
In November 2024, Milley stated that he believed that Musk would replicate his model of deregulation as the head of DOGE. He also indicated that he maintained contact with Musk.
After taking office on January 20, US President Donald Trump appointed Musk as the head of DOGE. This structure began a large-scale audit of US budget spending. Overall, Musk expects to reduce government spending by $2 trillion.