PoliticsElon Musk Poured Shots of His Tesla-Branded Tequila Into Plastic Cups During Wild Final Night in West Wing, New Book Reveals
Elon Musk poured Tesla Tequila shots into plastic cups just before being fired from the White House.
Aug. 28 2026, Published 5:02 a.m. ET
Elon Musk reportedly made his DOGE staff drink his Tesla-branded Tequila in a wild toast on his final night at the West Wing.
Former DOGE staffer Tyler Hassen detailed the incident in his new book, Inside DOGE: The Real Story from a Senior Insider, slated to be released on September 22, per Daily Mail.
Elon Musk was thrown out of the White House just days after his impromptu West Wing party.
According to him, the trillionaire asked a room full of the top staffers from his department, who were crammed into his surprisingly small office in the West Wing, if anybody wanted a taste of his limited-edition Tesla Tequila, which he launched in November 2020.
When the deputies agreed, he brought out the signature lightning bolt-shaped bottle and poured shots for everyone in the room in plastic cups.
Tyler Hassen Recounted the West Wing Night That Started the Dismantling of DOGE
Elon Musk had already started disagreeing with core Trump administration members before DOGE being dismantled.
The Texas oilman claimed that while many people in the room declined to drink the beverage at the time, he gladly took a cup of his own. He also took another shot when a colleague passed him an untouched cup.
Per Hassen, the X owner had already gotten into an argument with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier that day.
As a result, the mood in the room was less than optimistic when Musk decided to bring alcohol to the mix.
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Elon Musk and Donald Trump publicly started mudslinging just week after Musk's West Wing meeting.
“Even great tequila couldn't mask the change in the room,” he wrote in the memoir.
According to the energy executive, the scene took place during one of the former DOGE chief’s final meetings with his team, as he was dismissed from the White House just days later.
A week after that, Musk and Donald Trump were publicly at war.
Tyler Hassen Recalled Uncertainty in the Days Leading Up to DOGE's Dismantling
Elon Musk and Donald Trump started feuding over the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Hassen joined DOGE in January 2025 and soon became an authority figure at the Interior Department.
He noted that the main reason behind the once-close allies’ growing rift was the newly introduced One Big Beautiful Bill.
He reflected that he and his colleagues felt helpless as they watched lawmakers disregard their work by adding billions of dollars in new spending for Trump's bill.
While Hassen and the other staffers kept their thoughts close to their hearts, Musk became vocal about opposing the new bill, to the point of calling it a “disgusting abomination.”
Donald Trump remains distrustful of Elon Musk despite mending their relationship.
While the president and his former ally’s social media feud erupted, Hassen stated that he froze as his colleagues spammed his phone with texts about the situation.
His anxiety over the situation reportedly escalated as he had a front-row seat to watch Musk and Trump trade blows.
He also recalled that the threat of the department he and the other staff spent so much energy and money building becoming defunct felt so real that he purchased National Park Service golf balls, T-shirts and a Yeti mug as keepsakes for his family.
While the SpaceX founder and the president have seemingly mended their relationship in the following months, Trump reportedly remains very distrustful of Musk, per the outlet.
