In celebration of his first month back in the White House, United States President Donald Trump took a triumphant lap before a large group of conservatives, where his former advisor was spotted making a salute reminiscent of the Nazis and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk brandished a chainsaw.
In a speech resembling a rally to an excited audience at the four-day Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on the outskirts of Washington, DC, Trump on Saturday highlighted his achievements since taking office on January 20, criticizing his political adversaries, including predecessor Joe Biden.
“Every single thing he touched turned to chaos,” Trump said of Biden, using strong language and receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
Trump also proclaimed that his administration’s extensive efforts to dismiss thousands of federal employees and reduce the size of government have never been seen before, praising himself for “dominating” the capital and sending bureaucrats packing.
“We will establish a new and enduring political majority that will influence American politics for generations to come,” said Trump, who has suggested the idea of running for a third term in 2028, contradicting the US Constitution.
Here are the other highlights of the CPAC:
Bannon’s Nazi-like salute
Former Trump political advisor and chief strategist Steve Bannon was accused of making a Nazi salute as he concluded his speech at CPAC, although he maintained that it was simply a “wave”.
While on stage, Bannon raised his right arm in the air with his palm flat after urging the crowd to “Fight! Fight! Fight!” – a reference to what Trump shouted after an attempt on his life.
The gesture, which drew comparisons to a gesture Musk made during a Trump inauguration event, drew immediate criticism, including from the Anti-Defamation League, due to its similarities with the right-arm salute associated with the Nazis in history.
The incident even led the French far-right National Rally president Jordan Bardella to cancel his scheduled speech at the same event, prompting Bannon to call Bardella “a boy, not a man” who is “unfit to lead France”.
Musk waves a chainsaw
Musk waved a chainsaw in the air as he appeared at the CPAC, demonstrating a willingness to audit the Federal Reserve and accusing Democrats of “treason”.
Musk, the Tesla CEO who has become perhaps Trump’s most influential advisor, wore sunglasses and his trademark black “Make America Great Again” hat, and discussed his campaign to reduce government spending and downsize the federal workforce.
Musk then announced that Argentinian President Javier Milei had a gift for him.
The Argentinian leader then walked on stage with the red chainsaw and handed it to Musk, who proceeded to wave it in front of a cheering crowd. The chainsaw was engraved with Milei’s slogan, “Viva la libertad, carajo”, which translates to “Long live liberty, damn it” in Spanish.
Milei, who has been frequently praised by Musk, popularized the tool while campaigning in 2023 and proposing cuts to public spending.
Milei bats for small government
Returning to the same stage on Saturday, the Argentinian leader urged the enthusiastic CPAC crowd to continue supporting Trump’s efforts to reduce the size of government, stating that his methods in Argentina mirror those of the US leader.
Speaking in Spanish, Milei voiced his support for Trump’s actions in dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID), calling it inconsistent with the president’s agenda and labeling it as wasteful.
“Our approach is similar to that of our dear friend Elon Musk,” Milei said. “To go office by office, retain what is effective, and eliminate the rest. That’s why I presented him with a chainsaw.”
He used a different chainsaw as a prop during his 2023 campaign to symbolize his proposals to reduce the bloated state. However, a year into his presidency, Argentina’s poverty rate reached nearly 53 percent, leading analysts to deem his policy “a disaster”.
Meloni says Europe is not lost
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni informed the CPAC participants via a video link that the US and Europe would remain close under Trump, despite escalating tensions regarding the future of Ukraine.
Blaming the “ruling classes” and “mainstream media”, Meloni asserted that Europe was not “lost”.
“Our adversaries are hoping for President Trump to distance himself from us [Europe],” Meloni said, adding, “knowing him as a strong and effective leader, I believe that those hoping for divisions will be proven wrong.”
Meloni, the leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, was the only European Union leader to attend Trump’s inauguration in January, and her allies have positioned her as a potential bridge between the EU and the US president.
