Musk in Oval Office farewell brushes off NYT report on ketamine use

• His reputation was bruised during his tumultuous tenure, which at times saw him clash with administration officials.
• The Times on Friday, citing more than a dozen people who knew or worked with him, reported that Musk was allegedly taking so much ketamine — on top of other drugs — that it was affecting his bladder.
• Musk in the past had said he was prescribed ketamine for mental health issues.

Driving the news: Asked about the report Friday, Musk railed against The New York Times "for their lies about the Russiagate hoax" and added "let's move on."

• The Times reported that it's "unclear" if Musk used drugs while serving in the government.

Zoom out: President Trump, during an often rambling opening to the press conference, said Musk is "really not leaving" and was "going to be back and forth."

• Musk said he would continue to visit as a "friend" and adviser to the president.

Catch up quick: Musk and DOGE set out with an audacious goal of cutting $2 trillion in federal spending.

• That didn't happen. And the savings DOGE claims it did find have been hotly contested because the math backing up the initiatives' tallies was marred with errors.
• But Musk on Friday maintained he still expects to achieve a trillion dollars in cuts over time.

Flashback: In a memorable February appearance, Musk joined Trump in the Oval Office to defend DOGE's cuts, saying Americans "voted for major government reform and that's what the people are going to get."

• Since then, DOGE purged thousands of government workers and contracts — though Musk's legacy with DOGE remains ensnared in several ongoing lawsuits.

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