The billionaire’s choice of attire at a high-profile White House meeting has ignited a heated debate online, with online users calling it disrespectful and unprofessional.
During President Donald Trump’s first cabinet meeting for his second term on February 26, 2025, at the White House, Tesla CEO and newly appointed leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, became a hot topic—not for policy discussions, but for his outfit.
A user comment about Elon Musk’s clothes at the White House cabinet meeting, dated February 26, 2025 | Source: Facebook/ThoughtfulWomenByWJ
Wearing a T-shirt with the words “Tech Support” and a cap, Musk’s casual look sharply contrasted with the formal attire of other attendees. His appearance at the Cabinet Room in Washington, DC, has led to widespread criticism and debate about professionalism in government settings.
Elon Musk wears a “Tech Support” shirt during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 26, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
Many netizens took to social media to criticize his outfit. One wrote, “Stop. Wearing. A. Hat. Inside. The. White. House.” Another user added, “His clothing choices are disrespectful. I can’t even listen to this guy.”
Elon Musk, Department of Government Efficiency leader, speaks at a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 26, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
A different commenter simply stated, “Hat & T-shirt.” Someone else remarked, “With all the money he has you would think he had something more decent to wear [sic].” Another person argued, “He running the show so he can dress anyway he wants [sic].”
Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, and Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 26, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
One frustrated user questioned, “Where your manners? Take your CAP off [sic]!!!” A critic exclaimed, “Really! Unbelievable! You wear a T shirt with wording in a cabinet meeting. They should have sent him home for inappropriate outfit [sic].”
Another speculated, “I am sure he gets paid big time to wear that t-shirt.” One final remark insisted, “He needs to dress appropriately. Take off that cap.”
Whether or not his outfit was a statement or just another example of Elon Musk‘s casual demeanor, the debate over professionalism in politics continues.
But attire aside, the billionaire recently faced criticism on a much more personal matter. On February 20, 2025, in now-deleted tweets on X, Musk’s ex-partner, Grimes, accused him of ignoring her phone calls amid a “medical crisis.”
The “Genesis” singer reportedly wrote, “I am sorry to do this publicly but it is no longer acceptable to ignore this situation. This requires immediate attention. If you don’t want to talk to me can you please designate or hire someone who can do that [so] we can move forward on solving this. This is urgent, Elon.”
She further explained, “I’m not giving any details but he won’t respond to texts calls or emails and has skipped every meeting and our child will suffer life long impairment if he doesn’t respond asap, so I need him to [expletive] respond and if I have to apply public pressure then I guess that’s where we are at. [sic]”
Grimes, a Canadian musician whose real name is Claire Boucher, did not specify which of her children was in need. The 36-year-old and Musk share two sons, X Æ A-Xii, four, and Techno Mechanicus, two, as well as a daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl, three.
The 53-year-old SpaceX Chief Executive Officer (CEO) did not respond to her now-deleted plea. Since then, Grimes has shared several posts on X. Some X users were confused when they were unable to see her previous posts and suspected that her account was shadowbanned.
Elon Musk and Grimes at the Space X Hyperloop Pod Competition, in Hawthorne, California, on July 22, 2018 | Source: Getty Images
Others were puzzled by the absence of her comments on the platform, which is owned by Musk. The following day, Grimes explained that she was deleting her posts “because if they’re being shadow banned and not eliciting a response then all it is is a media circus at the expense of the kids.”
This isn’t the first time that the vocalist and businessman, who dated from 2018 to 2022, have clashed. On February 11, 2025, Musk brought X Æ A-Xii with him to the Oval Office, where they joined President Trump for a media briefing to discuss the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).