Elon Musk Blames 4-Year-Old Son for Black Eye During White House Farewell

In a bizarre farewell spectacle that blurred the lines between political ceremony and personal oddity, Elon Musk—outgoing head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—stood next to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, sporting an unmistakable black eye and an even more bewildering explanation. The world’s richest man, dressed entirely in black and donning a T-shirt that read “The Dogefather,” claimed the visible bruise near his eye was the result of playful roughhousing with his young son, X Æ A-Xii, often referred to simply as “X.”

But the strange injury, paired with lingering allegations of drug use and erratic behavior, has only fueled deeper concern about Musk’s influence inside the Trump administration and the future of DOGE without its controversial figurehead.

Musk, 53, used the farewell meeting—his last official appearance as special government employee under the Trump presidency—to echo the president’s praise for what he claimed were unprecedented cost-cutting and contract-canceling achievements during his short but noisy tenure. Standing alongside Trump, who credited Musk for “a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington,” the billionaire entrepreneur accepted a ceremonial key and smiled for cameras. The symbolism was heavy. So was the bruise under his eye.

Pressed by a reporter after the event about the mark on his face, Musk casually shrugged off speculation and explained it came from his son. “I said, go ahead punch me in the face,” Musk said, recounting the father-son exchange. “And he did.

And turns out even a five-year-old punching you in the face actually does this.” Trump appeared startled by the explanation, admitting he hadn’t noticed the injury earlier. Musk, in his usual deadpan delivery, added, “I didn’t really feel much at the time… and then I get some bruises.”

While the moment might have been brushed aside as Musk’s typical eccentricity, it comes on the heels of a troubling report from The New York Times that claims Musk’s lifestyle behind closed doors is anything but playful parenting. Sources close to the billionaire allege that he has been using ketamine not occasionally, but habitually, even traveling with a box containing roughly 20 pills, including the stimulant Adderall.

Though Musk previously admitted to taking small doses of ketamine biweekly to manage his mental health, insiders now assert his use has spiraled, potentially into a daily regimen mixed with other substances.

What makes the timing of this story even more politically potent is Musk’s recently announced departure from DOGE, a department he helped Trump create in early 2025. Initially seen as a quirky but aggressive initiative to overhaul federal inefficiencies and bureaucracy, DOGE was part of Trump’s second-term effort to inject Silicon Valley-style disruption into Washington’s slow-moving apparatus. Musk, always more comfortable with rockets and algorithms than regulation, became a natural symbol for the movement.

His involvement drew widespread attention—and criticism—particularly given his massive donations to Trump’s reelection campaign and his increasingly erratic public statements on X (formerly Twitter), the very platform he owns. But behind the black T-shirt and black eye, there now lies an open question: what really happened in Musk’s final weeks inside the West Wing? And to what extent was his presence an asset—or a liability—to Trump’s agenda?

Even supporters inside the administration had started to express quiet relief that Musk was stepping away. “He’s brilliant, but unpredictable,” said one anonymous senior advisor. “You just never knew if he’d show up to a cabinet meeting or livestream a video game instead.”

Those concerns were only intensified by the reports of Musk’s alleged drug use and lifestyle habits, including long gaming sessions, binge eating, and general isolation.

And yet, in the farewell ceremony, Trump remained undeterred. “This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,” the president posted on Truth Social later that night. “Elon is terrific!” While Musk’s status was always technically “temporary,” his growing influence in policy discussions—particularly around AI regulation, defense contracts, and federal technology modernization—was unmistakable.

In fact, until just a few weeks ago, Musk had hinted he might remain in the DOGE role indefinitely on a part-time basis. His departure now appears more abrupt than planned, and some in Washington are speculating that the recent cascade of negative press may have accelerated the decision.

Despite the absence of an official reason, the bruised eye, the ketamine box rumors, and the widening scrutiny over Musk’s leadership style have all contributed to a sense that his chapter in the White House may have ended just in time.

Still, Musk was characteristically dismissive of concerns about DOGE’s future without him. “They’re going to continue to be doing an incredible job,” he said of his team, reiterating his belief that the DOGE philosophy will live on. “DOGE is a way of life. Like Buddhism,” he added, in what was either an offhand joke or a genuine attempt at philosophical metaphor.

Either way, the comment left many observers wondering whether the administration had ever fully grasped the scale of Musk’s eccentricity—or whether they had simply decided to live with it.

The departure also marks a subtle but potentially significant shift in Musk’s political posture. Just last year, he was Trump’s top financial backer and his most vocal tech ally.

But now, Musk says he will “scale back” his political donations. No specifics have been given, but analysts believe this move could signal disillusionment, legal concerns, or a desire to recenter his focus on business after what has clearly been a chaotic foray into politics.

For critics, Musk’s entire stint in government was a dangerous experiment. “You can’t have a guy who tweets at 3 a.m. and experiments with horse tranquilizers running government reform,” said one former White House ethics official. But for Trump and his allies, Musk was the perfect symbol of disruption—a man who broke rules, bent norms, and brought attention, if not always results.

As for the bruise, whether it came from a toddler’s fist or something more troubling remains open to interpretation. The timing, the body language, the lack of denial—all of it has left reporters and citizens alike trying to read between the lines.

One thing is certain: the image of Musk standing bruised but proud next to Donald Trump, wearing a shirt that declares him “The Dogefather,” will go down as one of the most surreal moments of this administration.

And as Trump looks to cement his legacy through bold reform and unconventional appointments, the Elon Musk experiment may prove to be the most polarizing chapter of all. His contributions to DOGE are real, if sometimes exaggerated. His public persona, a blend of tech genius and tabloid fodder, remains intact.

But the lingering questions—about his mental state, his substance use, and his long-term ambitions—are only getting louder.

For now, Musk returns to his familiar orbit, back to SpaceX launches, X platform chaos, and whatever comes next in his unpredictable saga. Whether the black eye was truly the work of a playful child or a symptom of deeper turbulence, it will remain a symbolic bruise on his brief but unforgettable time in the Trump White House.