Elon Musk declared that "[Donald] Trump derangement syndrome" is real in a joint interview with the US president broadcast on Monday, 17 February.
The billionaire father-of-12 and the Republican spoke to Fox News' Sean Hannity about the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Mr Musk compared reactions to Trump's name being mentioned at a friend's dinner party before the election to someone being "shot with a dart in the jugular that contained methamphetamine and rabies."
His remarks came after White House court filings said Mr Musk’s role in the Trump administration is that of a senior adviser to the president, and not as an employee of DOGE.