Elon Musk sidestepped questions about a report in The New York Times alleging that he abused drugs while on the campaign trail with President Trump last year.

Speaking at an Oval Office send-off to mark the conclusion of his work with the Department of Government Efficiency, Fox News’ Peter Doocy attempted to ask Mr. Musk about the Times report, but was quickly cut off by the tech billionaire.

“I think the judge just ruled against the New York Times for their lies about the Russiagate hoax, and they might have to give back their Pulitzer? That New York Times? Let’s move on,” Mr. Musk said.

The Times has joined most left-leaning news organizations in writing hit pieces against Mr. Musk since he joined the Trump team.

It published a story citing sources allegedly close to Mr. Musk saying he admitted ketamine frequently, sometimes daily, and it started to damage his bladder. Sources also told the newspaper that Mr. Musk allegedly used ecstasy and hallucinogenic mushrooms and traveled with a pill box that contained Adderall, a medication to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but can also be a stimulant.

The anonymous sources also tied Mr. Musk’s alleged drug abuse to 2024 when the SpaceX CEO was increasing his support for Mr. Trump, donating nearly $275 million to his reelection campaign.

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A federal court this week ruled that Mr. Trump can move forward with his defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board. Mr. Trump alleges in the lawsuit that Pulitzers awarded to The New York Times and Washington Post should be revoked because their reports on alleged ties between his 2016 campaign and Russia were later debunked. The president has argued in the lawsuit that the reporting was false and defamatory.

Mr. Trump filed the lawsuit in 2022 against the Pulitzer Board for defaming him with their coverage on Russian interference in the 2016 election.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.