"It Lacked Empathy": Musk Regrets Viral Chainsaw Wielding Display Amid Feud With Trump

Donald Trump's former "first buddy", Elon Musk, who's been criticising the US President's signature tax and spending bill, is now expressing regrets over his wild antics at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) earlier this year, where he was seen wielding a giant chainsaw on the stage tp rile up the crowd. 

In February, while the DOGE was gutting funding for federal agencies under Musk's leadership, Musk shared the stage with  Argentinian president Javier Milei, wielding the shiny metal-plated prop. The move sent a clear message-- the federal government's budget was being butchered beyond recognition.

Musk's Regret

Now, months later, Musk responded to a X user who suggested the tech mogul acted like "a fool" with the stunt, and admitted the move "lacked empathy".

"Milei gave me the chainsaw backstage and I ran with it, but, in retrospect, it lacked empathy," he wrote.

Musk's remark seemed like an attempt to distance himself from his work at Trump's administration's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), now that his bromance with the Republican has morphed into a bitter feud, the world's richest claimed that he wishes he'd never grabbed the chainsaw.

Musk and Trump have been on bitter terms ever since the billionaire stepped down from his position as DOGE chief over Republicans' unpopular package, which is expected to slash social welfare programs and add an eye-watering $3 trillion to the national debt. 

The duo engaged in an online spat on Tuesday, with the President threatening to deport the tech tycoon and strip federal funds from his businesses for criticising his "One Big, Beautiful Bill".

"We'll have to take a look," Trump told reporters when asked if he would consider deporting Musk, who has held US citizenship since 2002.

In reply to a post on his X social network featuring Trump's deportation comments, Musk replied on Tuesday: "So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now."

Musk's Change Of Heart 

Amid bitter spat with Trump, Musk seems to have alienated himself from the political right and threatened to form a new party--an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty. He also took direct aim at Republican lawmakers on Monday, and vowed, "they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth."

"Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people," he added in a post on X.