Elon Musk argues that taxpayer dollars are funding organizations and media outlets that work against American interests. Speaking at CPAC, Musk discusses government spending, free speech, legacy media, and why he believes protecting open dialogue has become one of the defining challenges of the digital age.
During the conversation, Musk reflects on his transition from entrepreneur to public figure in politics, explaining why he felt compelled to speak out on issues of censorship and government influence. He discusses the role of taxpayer-funded NGOs, questions how much public opinion is shaped by government-backed institutions, and shares why acquiring X was, in his view, an investment in protecting free expression. Musk also contrasts the state of free speech in Europe with the United States, warning against policies that punish political expression and online dissent.
Watch more speeches, interviews, and panels from CPAC featuring today's leading voices in conservative politics.
CPAC hosts incredible guests and speakers including Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles of The Daily Wire, the late Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA, Steve Bannon of War Room, Donald Trump Jr., Vivek Ramaswamy, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, Dan Bongino, and many more leading voices in conservative media and politics.
We're seeing a lot of these freedoms disappearing in the West.
It's not just about America.
We're all watching Europe and knowing that they're about 50, 100 years ahead of us, right?
Because they got an early start.
And we're watching how they're devolving.
And you're trying to save it from happening here.
I mean, in Europe, they put people in prison for memes, you know?
I'm like, that's insane.
And they're collapsing.
I mean, this society, it's a collapse.
It feels that way.
Feels like...
France was nicer 50 years ago than it is today.
I don't think you can question it.
So, really, I love you too.
I do love you.
I mean, I really just wanted to do useful things.
Like, you know, basically build products, provide products and services that are good.
I wasn't really that interested in being political.
It's just like there was, at a certain point, no choice.
So...
Can I ask you what, on the same side of that coin, what's it like from going neutral to being vilified?
Largely vilified by the media.
What?
No.
Really?
I mean, you turn on some of these channels, brother.
I mean, does it bother you at all?
Does it get to you?
I mean, when they're chanting for my death, I suppose that's a little...
Not good.
And then, like, the song's not even that good.
Like, to call that a death chant?
That's nothing.
Please.
They've been singing a lot lately.
It's not even good music.
There's a lot of music lately.
It's not good music either, yeah.
I would say that they're...
You know, watching what you're doing with Doge is just...
People love it.
I mean, I've always looked at the government and...
I've always looked at the government and I've seen this big machine that...
And you just...
They waste because they don't care.
Nobody cares.
There's more money coming.
They don't care.
You're cutting all this out.
Everybody in this country knows that the government is full of waste, fraud, and abuse.
And you're doing the work and the Americans love it.
Watching their reaction politically to this, I can't believe how bad they are at response.
I don't know how you're going to sit there and scream and complain because they're cutting waste out of the government
and try to win another election.
How do you try to win on that?
Well, at this point, I'm like, I'm not sure how much of the left is even real, you know?
How much was propped up by our money?
Literally, you see these sort of fake rallies where there's hardly any people.
And the media will frame it and get all six people in the frame.
But it's like nobody else is there.
It doesn't have popular support.
But then you learn that there's hundreds of billions of dollars going to these so-called NGOs.
And it's your tax dollars that are funding things that are fundamentally anti-American.
And propping up their narrative.
Yes.
A lot of that government money has been propping up a left that I don't think is as strong as they made it seem.
In fact, a massive amount of your tax dollars is going to legacy media companies directly from the government.
The government wants to take over media.
Yeah, it's terrible.
That's why we have X.
That's why you spent $44 billion.
I mean, that's a lot of money.
I mean.
More than it was probably worth.
But there was a message.
Freedom is priceless.
Probably one of the most important investments this country's ever seen.
