Former White House aide and conservative pundit Steve Bannon says President Trump’s administration should launch a special counsel investigation into Elon Musk following last week’s explosive falling out the world’s richest man had with the president last week.
“I think the best way to do it is as a special counsel that can kind of oversee everything,” Bannon said during a conversation with journalist Chuck Todd published this week. “Pull the security clearance for the drugs, temporarily, investigate the whole drug situation.”
Bannon was making reference to a New York Times report laying out alleged drug use by Musk during the months leading up to the 2024 election and his time working closely with Trump and others in the administration.
Musk, when asked about the alleged drug use during a press conference with Trump on his final day as a “special government employee,” dismissed the reporting and criticized the Times.
The billionaire tech and media mogul, who was granted vast access to Trump and his White House while he served as head of the new department of government efficiency, publicly clashed with the president over the spending bill Trump is trying to push through Congress.
After Musk criticized the bill, Trump threatened to cancel the businessman’s federal contracts and said he asked the Tesla CEO to leave as he was “wearing thin,” while Musk amplified a call for Trump to be replaced with Vice President Vance.
Bannon has been a steady critic of Musk for months, arguing the billionaire does not have the president’s best interest in mind, calling him a “technocrat” and suggesting he be removed from the country.
