Maggie Haberman

Happy Valentine's Day, Michael.

Happy Valentine's Day, Michael.

Happy to spend it with you.

Happy to spend it with you.

I can think of one person. I can, too.

I can think of one person. I can, too.

It was pretty remarkable, Michael. Elon Musk joined Donald Trump in the Oval Office with Elon Musk's four-year-old child named X, just like the social media website that used to be Twitter that Elon Musk has renamed. And it was for an executive order signing related to how Doge, Musk's so-called cost-cutting initiative, interacts with the hiring process in the federal government.

It was pretty remarkable, Michael. Elon Musk joined Donald Trump in the Oval Office with Elon Musk's four-year-old child named X, just like the social media website that used to be Twitter that Elon Musk has renamed. And it was for an executive order signing related to how Doge, Musk's so-called cost-cutting initiative, interacts with the hiring process in the federal government.

And Trump really just turned it over to Musk. And Musk just held forth for many, many minutes. I think it was much of the roughly 30-minute event. And he described what he's doing. He kept talking about all of the so-called fraud and waste and abuse that he says they have found.

And Trump really just turned it over to Musk. And Musk just held forth for many, many minutes. I think it was much of the roughly 30-minute event. And he described what he's doing. He kept talking about all of the so-called fraud and waste and abuse that he says they have found.

The most striking allegation for which he provided no evidence and still has not as far as I know was that some government workers were taking kickbacks. Right. That they were getting percentages. I believe it was specifically of USAID spending. But Trump was relegated to sort of a spectator.

The most striking allegation for which he provided no evidence and still has not as far as I know was that some government workers were taking kickbacks. Right. That they were getting percentages. I believe it was specifically of USAID spending. But Trump was relegated to sort of a spectator.

in his own office, just sitting at the desk and nodding and occasionally chiming in and criticizing judges. And what was really striking about it, Michael, is that it looked to those of us who have watched him for a long time as if Trump was not enjoying this. I talked to a number of his advisors afterwards. They said he was fine with it.

in his own office, just sitting at the desk and nodding and occasionally chiming in and criticizing judges. And what was really striking about it, Michael, is that it looked to those of us who have watched him for a long time as if Trump was not enjoying this. I talked to a number of his advisors afterwards. They said he was fine with it.

They said that he, and I don't think that they're making it up. I think that he was defending his guy, Elon Musk, who has gone above and beyond in many ways to try to prove loyalty to Trump. And Trump really likes having the richest man in the world seeking his approval.

They said that he, and I don't think that they're making it up. I think that he was defending his guy, Elon Musk, who has gone above and beyond in many ways to try to prove loyalty to Trump. And Trump really likes having the richest man in the world seeking his approval.

I think that – well, at least there may be evidence, but they have not shared it with us. Number one, it's Donald Trump's default setting is to call things corrupt when he doesn't like them, to call things corrupt when they disagree with him. I do think that Trump is very radicalized about the government he is leading. I think that has happened since –

I think that – well, at least there may be evidence, but they have not shared it with us. Number one, it's Donald Trump's default setting is to call things corrupt when he doesn't like them, to call things corrupt when they disagree with him. I do think that Trump is very radicalized about the government he is leading. I think that has happened since –

the investigations into him in his first term, I think since the multiple criminal indictments he faced, all of the civil cases that he faced. I do think that Trump's contempt for the federal government is genuine. But Trump comes historically from a period in time and a place, New York, 1960s, 70s, 80s, that was run by machine politics, where lots of aspects of government and

the investigations into him in his first term, I think since the multiple criminal indictments he faced, all of the civil cases that he faced. I do think that Trump's contempt for the federal government is genuine. But Trump comes historically from a period in time and a place, New York, 1960s, 70s, 80s, that was run by machine politics, where lots of aspects of government and