Latest / Elon Musk Podcast / Elon Musk says he's Ozempic Santa

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Elon Musk says he's Ozempic Santa · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:01
  Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast.
• 0:05
  This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads, The
• 0:08
  Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neurolink.
• 0:13
  I'm your host, Will Walden. How does Elon Musk's endorsement
• 0:18
  of weight loss drug clash with RFK Junior's views now?
• 0:22
  Could this spark a rift within Trump's incoming administration?
• 0:26
  And what does this controversy say about America's health
• 0:29
  priorities? These questions emerge after
• 0:31
  Elon Musk publicly shared that he's taken Monjaro, a drug from
• 0:36
  the same class as Ozempic, a medication Robert F Kennedy
• 0:40
  Junior has staunchly criticized for its health implications.
• 0:44
  Now, the contrasting views between Musk and Kennedy, both
• 0:46
  prominent figures in Donald Trump's soon to be
• 0:48
  administration, highlight a complex debate over wealth,
• 0:52
  health, weight loss, and drug reliance in the United States.
• 0:55
  Now on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2024, Musk posted a tongue
• 1:01
  in cheek photo to X, formerly known as Twitter, of course
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  featuring himself dressed as Santa Claus minus the
• 1:07
  traditional big belly. He captioned it Ozempic Santa,
• 1:12
  adding humor by comparing it to the popular film character
• 1:15
  Cocaine Bear. Now Musk later clarified he was
• 1:19
  using Monjaro, a semi glutide based medication similar to
• 1:25
  Ozempic, joking that the Mame lacked the same catchy ring.
• 1:30
  Now the post sparked attention, especially given Kennedy's vocal
• 1:34
  opposition to drugs like semaglutides, which were
• 1:37
  originally designed to treat diabetes but have surged in
• 1:40
  popularity for their appetite suppressing and weight loss
• 1:43
  effects. Now, Musk's public embrace of
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  the drug stands in sharp contrast to Kennedy's earlier
• 1:49
  statements. And Kennedy, tapped by Trump to
• 1:52
  head the Department of Health and Human Services, has
• 1:54
  consistently expressed skepticism about medications
• 1:57
  like Ozempic. In October, during an interview
• 2:00
  with Fox News's Greg Gutfeld, Kennedy criticized the push for
• 2:04
  semaglutide, particularly in the American market.
• 2:08
  He said they make the drug in Denmark and in Denmark they do
• 2:11
  not recommend it for a diabetes or obesity.
• 2:14
  They recommend dietary and behavioral changes.
• 2:17
  He added that Americans addiction to quick fix solutions
• 2:20
  rather than long term lifestyle changes is part of the problem.
• 2:24
  He said they're counting on selling it to Americans because
• 2:26
  we are so stupid and so addicted to drugs now.
• 2:30
  He reiterated his belief that improving food quality could
• 2:34
  address obesity far more effectively.
• 2:36
  Now, Kennedy's remarks align with his broader mission to Make
• 2:39
  America Healthy Again, a platform that emphasizes
• 2:42
  preventive care and lifestyle adjustments over medication.
• 2:45
  However, Musk has directly contradicted the stats, claiming
• 2:49
  in past comments that broadening access to drugs like Ozempics
• 2:52
  could greatly improve public health.
• 2:55
  Nothing would do more to improve public health, Musk said,
• 2:58
  underscoring his belief in the drug's transformative potential.
• 3:02
  Now, this tension between Musk and Kennedy is particularly
• 3:05
  striking given their roles in Trump's incoming administration.
• 3:10
  Musk, along with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, has been
• 3:13
  selected to lead the government of or the Department of
• 3:16
  Government Efficiency, or DOGE, in office, designed to eliminate
• 3:20
  bureaucratic waste and streamline government
• 3:23
  operations. Meanwhile, Kennedy has been
• 3:25
  charged with spearheading HHS with Trump, granting him
• 3:29
  significant leeway to overhaul health policies so long as they
• 3:33
  do not conflict with Trump's energy goals.
• 3:35
  Differing philosophies between Musk and Kennedy could lead to
• 3:38
  disagreements in policy making, particularly in areas where
• 3:42
  health intersects with budgetary priorities.
• 3:46
  Now, the debate over semaglutide reflects broader societal and
• 3:50
  governmental discussions about obesity and healthcare.
• 3:53
  During his final days in office, Joe Biden administration
• 3:56
  proposed expanding Medicare and Medicaid coverage for
• 3:59
  semaglutide drugs, including Ozempic, to make them more
• 4:02
  accessible, and advocates argue that such medications can
• 4:06
  address obesity related conditions and improve public
• 4:10
  health outcomes. Opponents like Kennedy caution
• 4:13
  against an over reliance on pharmaceuticals, arguing for
• 4:17
  addressing root causes like diet and lifestyle.
• 4:20
  Now, Kennedy's skepticism about semi glutide isn't the only
• 4:24
  potential conflict within Trump's health focus.
• 4:26
  Team Doctor Oz, Trump's nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare
• 4:32
  and Medicaid Services, has publicly supported drugs like
• 4:34
  Ozempic. Oz has highlighted their
• 4:36
  benefits for weight loss and cardiovascular health, even
• 4:40
  predicting they could provide long term advantages in reducing
• 4:43
  obesity related inflammation. In a video posted to his
• 4:46
  Instagram last year, Oz remarked.
• 4:48
  I think the amount of good done by these medications by helping
• 4:51
  people lose weight and approve their cardiovascular system is
• 4:54
  massive. And if confirmed, Oz would
• 4:57
  report directly to Kennedy, setting the stage for potential
• 5:01
  disagreements over drug policy. Now, the public debate also
• 5:05
  shows the cultural divide over how to address the obesity
• 5:09
  epidemic in the US Kennedy has consistently emphasized the
• 5:13
  importance of better dietary practices and higher quality
• 5:16
  food access as primary solutions.
• 5:18
  The first line of response should be lifestyle, it should
• 5:22
  be eating well, making sure that you don't get obese, Kennedy
• 5:26
  told CNBC during a brief interview on the floor of the
• 5:29
  New York Stock Exchange. Yet in a subtle shift, he
• 5:32
  acknowledged that drugs like Ozempic might have a place in
• 5:35
  certain context, signaling a possible softening of his
• 5:38
  position as he seeks Senate approval for his HHS nomination.
• 5:43
  Kennedy's evolving rhetoric may also reflect the political
• 5:46
  balancing act required as he moves closer to taking office.
• 5:50
  Both Muskanaw's prominent figures in Trump's circle have
• 5:53
  endorsed the medications, and Kennedy may be calibrating his
• 5:56
  stance to avoid alienating key allies.
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  Still, his core message remains rooted in promoting healthier
• 6:02
  lifestyles as the cornerstone of addressing America's obesity
• 6:05
  crisis. Now, as the debate unfolds,
• 6:08
  public interest in semi glutite drugs like Ozempic and Monjaro
• 6:13
  continues to grow. These medications, developed for
• 6:15
  diabetes management have found a new audience among individuals
• 6:19
  seeking weight loss. However, questions about their
• 6:22
  long term safety, affordability and cultural impact linger.
• 6:26
  A rise in demand for cheaper, unregulated knockoffs has
• 6:30
  sparked additional concerns about quality control and
• 6:33
  consumer safety. Now, representatives from Musk,
• 6:36
  Kennedy and Trump transition team declined declined to
• 6:39
  comment when approached by our show The Elon Musk Podcast and
• 6:43
  the silence leaves the public to speculate and how these
• 6:46
  philosophical and policy differences might play out in
• 6:49
  Trump's administration. Now, as Musk and Kennedy
• 6:51
  navigate their roles, the potential for conflict looms,
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  especially in an administration that has yet to fully reconcile
• 6:58
  differing viewpoints on healthcare and government
• 7:01
  efficiencies. Now, Elon Musk's public
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  endorsement of these drugs is a stark divide within Trump's
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  incoming administration. And while Musk champions these
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  drugs, Kennedy remains skeptical, advocating for a
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  focus on its lifestyle changes and also food quality.
• 7:20
  This could be a battle in the middle of Trump's new
• 7:25
  administration. Now let me know what you think.
• 7:27
  If you have comments on your podcast platform, please leave a
• 7:30
  comment about this. Are you in favor of these drugs
• 7:33
  or do you think that a healthy lifestyle, better eating, better
• 7:37
  food, cleaner food is the answer?
• 7:40
  I'll tell you my opinion on this.
• 7:43
  I think for some people, drugs like Maduro or Ozempic are
• 7:48
  necessary. And if you need them, go for it.
• 7:52
  You know, it's the it's their own personal choice, but also
• 7:56
  just try to eat better. That makes sense, right?
• 8:00
  That that makes a lot of sense. Eat better, eat healthier, put
• 8:03
  down the hot dogs and start eating food that's healthy and
• 8:08
  good for you. Now, if you really like this
• 8:12
  podcast, please take a second and go to
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• 8:19
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