Outrage as Elon Musk, son and mother pictured on President's plane Air Force One
3 March 2025, 08:12 | Updated: 3 March 2025, 09:08
Elon Musk has sparked outrage in his latest controversy after being spotted on Air Force One with his mother and son.
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The tech billionaire was spotted in the window of the jet alongside Maye Musk and four-yea-old son X Æ A-Xii at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
The sighting came as a surprise to many, especially considering the significance of Air Force One as the official plane of the US President.
Air Force One typically carries only the President, government officials, or heads of state - leading to questions over Musk's access to the vehicle.
The trio were also seen on helicopter Marine One.
Over the weekend, demonstrators gathered outside Tesla stores across the US to protest against Musk's push to slash government spending on behalf of President Trump.
The demonstrations are part of a growing backlash in North America and Europe to Mr Musk's disruptive role in Washington.
Critics of Mr Trump and Mr Musk hope to discourage and stigmatise purchases of Tesla, the electric car company that is the world's most valuable automaker.
Liberal groups for weeks have organised anti-Tesla protests in hopes of galvanising opposition to Mr Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) and energising Democrats still demoralised by Mr Trump's November victory.
Mr Musk is taking direction from Mr Trump to slash federal spending and sharply reduce the workforce, arguing that victory gave the president and him a mandate to restructure the US government.
Doge officials have swiftly gained access to sensitive databases, directed thousands of federal job cuts, cancelled contracts and shut down sections of the government, including the US Agency for International Development.
Mr Musk's critics say his actions defy Congress's power to control the US budget and present a host of ways for him to enrich himself.
