Why Are White House Insiders Asking That 'Crazy Uncle' Elon Musk Take A Drug Test?

Whispers are swirling around Washington, D.C., as sources close to the White House suggest a growing concern about Elon Musk's behaviour. The question on many minds: Should the 53-year-old tech mogul undergo drug testing?

Elon Musk has picked up the nickname 'Crazy Uncle Elon' among some Trump administration figures, with some jokingly suggesting he should be screened for drug use.

The Government's Growing Worry

A Rolling Stone article published Thursday revealed the actual thoughts of some within the White House regarding the billionaire who's been challenging the federal government since January. One of the more polite terms used was 'annoying.'

'I have been in the same room with Elon, and he always tries to be funny. And he's not funny. Like, at all,' a senior Trump administration official told the magazine. 'He makes these jokes and little asides and smiles and then looks almost hurt if you don't lap up his humour.

'I keep using the word "annoying,"' the official continued. 'A lot of people who have to deal with him do. But the word doesn't do the situation justice. Elon just thinks he's smarter than everyone else in the room and acts like it, even when it's clear he doesn't know what he's talking about.'

Rubio's Fury: Musk's Actions Under Scrutiny

Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State and longtime senator, is reportedly among those most irritated with Musk. Rolling Stone heard from three sources that Rubio 'hasn't hidden his disdain for Musk,' and those at the State Department are behind the 'Crazy Uncle Elon' nickname.

As The New York Times revealed, Musk and Rubio had a run-in at a Cabinet meeting just last month. Things got heated when Musk tried to call out Rubio for not letting enough staff go, and Rubio fired back, asking if he should bring back those who'd already taken buyouts—just to fire them again for the show.

Musk's move to shut down the US Agency for International Development, which Rubio had championed in the Senate, rubbed the senator the wrong way. 'Talking to the guy is sometimes like listening to really rusty nails on a chalkboard,' another senior Trump official told Rolling Stone.

'He's just the most irritating person I've ever had to deal with, and that is saying something,' the senior official added. Musk has pushed so many Trump officials to their limit that, according to Rolling Stone, aides have left meetings wondering aloud if he was under the influence.

Musk's Substance Use

Musk, who runs Tesla, SpaceX, and X, has publicly shared that he uses prescribed ketamine to manage his depression. 'There are times when I have sort of a ... negative chemical state in my brain, like depression, I guess, or depression that's not linked to any negative news, and ketamine is helpful for getting one out of the negative frame of mind,' Musk told CNN's Don Lemon last March.

Musk clarified that he obtains the ketamine from 'an actual, real doctor' and uses a 'small amount once every other week or something like that.'

The Wall Street Journal, a couple of months before his Lemon interview, reported Musk's use of LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms at private parties, along with his public marijuana use. During his conversation with Lemon, Musk claimed he 'didn't 'know how to smoke pot.'

Is Musk's Behaviour Raising Red Flags?

In February, people in the crowd wondered if he had taken something when he showed up at the Conservative Political Action Conference with a chainsaw from Argentinian President Javier Milei and wearing shades.

The Journal's report pointed out that illegal drug use could put Musk's government contracts at risk. Interestingly, Musk, now a 'special government employee' has suggested that drug testing for federal workers is 'a great idea.'

On the flip side, Musk's legal representative told Rolling Stone he is 'subject to frequent, random drug tests at SpaceX and has never had a positive result.

Originally published on IBTimes UK