'Shut your mouth': Musk's son interrupts press conference with Trump

Elon Musk’s son joined the tech billionaire and President Donald Trump for a press conference at the White House on Tuesday, where he appeared to interrupt his father by mimicking him and later telling one person to “shut your mouth”.

The four-year-old was on his father’s shoulders in the Oval Office as the president prepared to sign an executive order concerning Musk’s work leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

While speaking to reporters, Musk defended cuts to federal government programmes and insisted he was transparent in his work.

However, as Musk was speaking, X Æ A-Xii, told someone who was off camera to “sh” and to “shut your mouth”.

He also stuck his fingers in his fathers ears, which attracted laughter from some reporters as Musk added: “I thought my son might enjoy this, but it’s, he’s sticking his fingers in my ears and stuff.

Musk’s son tells someone to “sh” during a press conference with President Trump

“So it’s been hard to hear sometimes. Hey! Stop that.”

While Musk was discussing their aim to “restore democracy”, X also mimicked his father.

Musk apologised to reporters after X interrupted him, saying “I tell you gravitas can be difficult sometimes.”

However, at the beginning of the conference, Trump praised Musk’s son , saying he has a “high IQ individual”.

The press conference focussed on DOGE’s work, which has been criticised over a lack of transparency.

The four-year-old was on his father’s shoulders in the Oval Office. / Credit: AP

Musk, who runs the department, defended its work, saying that he and Trump talk often and that he asks about what actions to take and where in the government he should focus his efforts.

Speaking to reporters, Musk said: “It’s not just us going in and doing things willy nilly.

“It’s in partnership with the agency heads and, and I checked regularly with the president to make sure that, you know, this is what the president wants to have happen.

“So we talk almost every day and I double check things to make sure is this something, Mr President, you want us to do, then we’ll do it.”

It comes as a judge temporary blocked plans to dismantle USAID (US Agency for International Development) – one of the world’s biggest donors of humanitarian and development assistance.

The Trump administration is expected to present their argument for dismantling USAID to a federal judge on Wednesday.