Trump’s Late-Night Ice Cream Invites, Lincoln Bedroom Sleepovers And Diablo

When Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk joined President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, he vowed to cut up to $2 trillion in costs and made waves by announcing thousands of layoffs and major contract cancellations. But as he remained in the spotlight with his high-profile role at the White House, Tesla began to struggle.

Tesla deliveries in the first quarter plunged 13%, while the EV maker saw its market share in Europe fall to under 9% in the three-month period from about 18% last year. It suffered a double-digit market sales decline in China in March amid tough competition. Tesla shares are down 12% so far this year.

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Amid increasing investor concerns and business headwinds at Tesla, Musk announced in the Q1 2025 earnings call that his time at DOGE will see a “significant” drop starting in May.

Talking to a group of reporters at the White House last month, Musk said his first three months at DOGE were “intense” and he now plans to return to “primarily running my companies.”

Musk spoke candidly during the conversation, recalling his early days working in his government role. Musk said he stayed in the White House’s Lincoln Bedroom “more than once” at Trump’s invitation when he arrived late in Washington.

“He was like: ‘Where are you staying?’ I was like: ‘I don’t know. At a friend’s house, I guess’” Musk said. “And then he was like: ‘Why don’t you stay here?’ I was like: ‘Sure.’”

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During his talk with reporters, Musk referred to Trump as a “good friend” and recalled the president’s late-night ice cream invitations.

“He’ll actually call late at night and say, ‘Oh, by the way, make sure you get some ice cream from the kitchen,'” Musk said, noting that Trump would jokingly add, “Don’t tell RFK,” referring to US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Musk said that he was assigned a “comically tiny” office on the top floor of the West Wing, with no view and a “glimmer” of sunlight.