Elon Musk has become the talk of the town on the internet after a cheeky move during Donald Trump‘s Cabinet meeting. Some sharp-eyed folks watching the live broadcast couldn’t help but notice a handwritten note on his pad that read “top secret.” Musk was sitting right there among all the big shots, and when the cameras swept across the room, his open notepad was clear as day. This little gem was caught on camera by a photographer named Jabin Botsford.
Now, this sparked a wildfire of guessing games and chuckles online. Was Elon Musk playing around with the press? Or was he being his usual dramatic self, poking fun at everyone? It’s like he knew everyone would zoom in on his notes. This scribble saga went down on April 13, and social media had a field day with it, creating jokes and funny pictures galore.
Elon trolling the media by writing “Top Secret” on his notepad. 😂 pic.twitter.com/l1dNOlne62
— Natalie F Danelishen (@Chesschick01) April 12, 2025
And considering past events, like when people from the government had security issues with the Signal app, Musk’s little stunt didn’t feel so harmless anymore. It’s like he was waving a red flag at the internet bull.
Just weeks back, a New York Times article in March let out that Musk was supposed to get the lowdown on military strategies if the U.S. and China got into a tussle. This hush-hush meeting was said to have 20 to 30 slides showing what could happen if things went boom. Naturally, this stirred up a hornet’s nest about Musk’s business buddies in China and the Pentagon. People were worried that he might not be able to keep his personal and professional hats separate.
Now, this doodle of a “top secret” notepad seems like it’s poking fun at that whole kerfuffle. Remember when Musk dropped the bomb at that meeting about his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) finding a cool $150 billion in savings by putting an end to fraud and bureaucratic nonsense? He promised everyone that their hard-earned cash would be used “in a way that is fair and sensible and good.” It’s not the trillion-dollar cut he talked about on Fox News, but it’s still a chunk of change.
Despite Elon Musk’s strong support for Donald Trump, including making substantial donations to his campaign, having him in the government’s inner circle hasn’t always been smooth sailing. In fact, just a couple of days before their meeting, Musk openly called one of Trump’s top economic advisors a “moron.”
The White House responded with a somewhat dismissive “boys will be boys.” Earlier that week, Musk had also butted heads with Peter Navarro, the trade adviser, regarding tariffs. According to Express UK, Navarro didn’t hold back either, calling Musk just a “car assembler” who’s too dependent on parts from other countries.
PETER NAVARRO ON ELON MUSK:
“We all understand in the White House (and the American people understand) that Elon’s a car manufacturer. But he’s not a car manufacturer — He’s a car assembler.
In many cases, if you go to his Texas plant, a good part of the engines that he gets… pic.twitter.com/mkp1wRGcvX
— Ron Pragides (@mrp) April 8, 2025
The internet’s take? Well, it seems like Musk was up to his usual troll antics. People have been discussing if the “top secret” message was a rebellious act, a private jest, or perhaps a form of avant-garde art. But, with real issues of national security in the air, not everyone finds it amusing. As Olivia Burke pointed out in LADbible, “Musk made a point of not hiding his message.”
Whether it was a symbolic statement or just a goofy prank, this mogul keeps crossing the boundaries between running a country, promoting a brand, and stirring up conversations.
