Elon Musk may have departed from the White House, but not without leaving behind a controversy. According to reports, staff at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) discovered what appeared to be discarded marijuana left by members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team. The institute building was forcibly taken by DOGE, however, it recently reclaimed it after a court ruling.
Economist reporter Daniel Knowles posted a photo of marijuana on the Bluesky social media platform, with the caption, “A photo shared with me earlier of uh, DOGE's legacy at USIP.”
USIP's acting president and CEO George Moose said in an affidavit that they found water leaks, evidence of rats and cockroaches in the building -- issues that did not exist when they left the building, UK-based The Daily Mail reported.
“Among other things, they reported evidence of rats and roaches in the building. Vermin were not a problem prior to March 17, 2025,” Moose wrote, according to the report. He added that employees also discovered “water leaks, damage to the garage door, and missing ceiling tiles in multiple places in the building.”
This comes amid reports that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been overdosing on ketamine, a powerful anesthetic —a charge that he strictly denied. Musk recently denied a report that he used ketamine and other drugs extensively last year on the 2024 campaign trail.
The New York Times reported that the billionaire adviser to President Donald Trump used so much ketamine that he developed bladder problems. The newspaper said the world's richest person also took ecstasy and mushrooms and travelled with a pill box last year, adding that it was not known whether Musk also took drugs while heading the so-called DOGE after Trump took power in January.
In a post on X, Musk said: "To be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off." He added: "I tried 'prescription' ketamine a few years ago and said so on X, so this not even news. It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven't taken it since then."
Musk left the Trump administration after leading a tumultuous efficiency drive, during which he upended several federal agencies but ultimately failed to deliver the generational savings he had sought.
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