Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who directs the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for President Donald Trump, questioned the nature of American democracy during a joint press conference from the Oval Office on Tuesday.

Donald Trump's administration scored a victory on Tuesday when a judge ruled in its favor in a challenge by Democratic attorneys general from a group of states to the authority of the Republican president's chief government cost-cutter Elon Musk.

Elon Musk called the president to address speculation that he was the real power in the White House—but Trump remains unfazed.