Elon Musk, the billionaire leading deep spending cuts in the US federal government, took the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday with an unusual prop—a chainsaw.

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“This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” Musk declared, lifting the power tool over his head.

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The gift came from Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei, who met Musk earlier in the day. The red metallic chainsaw was engraved with Milei’s signature slogan. “Viva la libertad, carajo” which roughly translates to “Long live freedom, damn it!”

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Musk slams Biden’s immigration policies

During his speech, Musk criticised the previous Biden administration’s handling of immigration. He singled out an app that allowed nearly 1 million migrants to enter the US on two-year permits with work eligibility.

“A lot of people don’t quite appreciate that this was an actual real scam at scale to tilt the scales of democracy in America,” Musk said.

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When Newsmax host Rob Schmitt asked him, “Treason?” Musk replied, “Treason.”

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Musk open to auditing the Federal Reserve

Schmitt also asked Musk if he would consider auditing the Federal Reserve.

“Yeah, sure, while we’re at it,” Musk responded, adding, “Waste is pretty much everywhere.”

Thousands of government jobs cut under Musk’s oversight

As part of Trump’s cost-cutting measures, Musk has been overseeing massive job cuts across government agencies. His efforts have impacted bank regulators, environmental workers, aerospace scientists, and many others.

Also read: White House releases video of shackled deportees; Elon Musk's reaction sparks condemnation

On Thursday, around 6,000 employees at the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) were reportedly notified of their termination, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Social media reacts to Musk’s chainsaw stunt

Musk’s display at CPAC triggered a wave of reactions online. Some praised him, while others criticised him harshly.

One user wrote, "Elon Musk thinks that firing thousands of people, including veterans, military spouses, people with kids, is like playing a video game where he gets to take a chainsaw to their lives. So fun, amirite? He truly sucks at being human."

Another posted, "Elon Musk waves around a chainsaw at CPAC while Argentinian president Javier Milei gives the thumbs up. These people are cringe AF and utterly unglued."

Meanwhile, Musk’s supporters cheered him on.

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"Incredible. Javier Milei brought Elon Musk a DOGE chainsaw. The perfect gift to inspire the cutting of even more waste, fraud, and abuse," one user said.

Another added, "LMAOO. Javier Milei just gave Elon Musk a DOGE chainsaw. This is FIRE."

(With inputs from agencies)