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Horror fans have reacted in shock after Elon Musk brandished a chainsaw on stage at CPAC on Thursday (20 February) with many likening it to the classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre film.
Musk took to the stage alongside Newsmax host Rob Schmitt on the second day of the right-wing conference and was joined by Argentinian president Javier Milei.
The Argentinian was voted into power in November 2023 following a fiercely polarised campaign, in which he promised to shake up the country. The chainsaw became a symbol of Milei’s campaign, with the politician wielding the tool at his rallies and presenting himself as the man to cut the government down to size.
At CPAC he presented Musk with the bejewelled power tool as a gift, in apparent reference to the figurative chainsaw Musk is taking to the federal government.
While holding the chainsaw above his head, Musk bellowed to the crowd: “This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy.”
As the crowd cheered him on, Musk declared: “I have become the meme. Yeah, pretty much. It’s like, there’s living the dream and living the meme, and it’s pretty much what’s happening, you know? I mean, DOGE started out as a meme, think about it, and now it’s real. Isn’t that crazy? But it’s cool.”
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Musk has since changed his X profile picture to a photo of him holding the chainsaw, complete with a caption that reads: “Dogefather”.
Although the chainsaw reference should be obvious to those who know the tool’s association with the South American politician, some people have used the opportunity to poke fun at the Tesla CEO by referencing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
“He’s mimicking Argentinian Prez Javier Milei, literally and politically. To most Americans, though, it looks like he’s the star of the next Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel,” wrote one person on X/Twitter.
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Another person asked: “Why is he acting like Leatherface at the end of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre? But less cool?”
“This Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake is terrible,” joked a third user.
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Although promoted as being based on a true story, the original movie, released in 1974, was inspired by the horrifying crimes of serial killer Ed Gein. It follows an unfortunate set of teenagers who stumble across the house of the Sawyer family, leading to a bloody game of survival.
Tobe Hooper’s film was banned in several countries upon release, including Britain, but is now widely regarded as one of the most influential horror movies ever made, and has spawned eight sequels and prequels.
Bizarrely, this isn’t the first time that the Trump administration has been linked with the film. During his 2020 election campaign, Trump released a video that featured a sound effect that horror fans immediately recognised from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
