Musk steals spotlight at Trump's cabinet meet with 'Top Secret!!' notepad

A scribbled 'Top Secret!!' note on Elon Musk's notepad during Trump's cabinet meeting has gone viral, sparking memes, speculation, and questions about its meaning

A cryptic handwritten note on Elon Musk’s notepad during US President Donald Trump’s cabinet meeting on April 10 has set social media abuzz. The words “Top Secret!!”, scribbled in blue ink, were spotted during the televised event and have since triggered everything from conspiracy theories to memes.

 

Photos from the meeting, now viral on X (formerly Twitter), show Musk seated with a name card, pen, empty glass, and a notepad placed before him. The standout detail? A message in casual handwriting reading “Top Secret!!” — underlined and punctuated with two exclamation marks.

 

Elon Musk at the Cabinet Room table with a pad in front of him that said “Top Secret”. On the way out I asked @elonmusk what his top secret information was and if he had a sketch for a new car under there. pic.twitter.com/crFijkzJMN

— Edward Lawrence (@EdwardLawrence) April 10, 2025

 

 

Social media reacts: ‘He wrote it himself’

 

The phrase quickly grabbed attention online, with users debating whether it was a joke, a staged moment, or an intentional Easter egg planted by the billionaire himself. Reactions ranged from sarcastic to humorous — one user quipped, “The most top secret stuff is written in ballpoint pen,” while another remarked, “He 100% wrote it himself with that pen.”

 

A third user noted, “Underlined twice, two exclamation points. The most top secret.”

 

Another added, “Big boy with his big boy documents,” sparking speculation about a possible reference to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s recent remarks. 

 

‘Boys will be boys,’ says White House

 

In response to a reporter’s question about the public spat between Elon Musk and Trump’s top trade adviser Peter Navarro over tariffs, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “Look, these are obviously two individuals who have very different views on trade and on tariffs.”

 

“Boys will be boys, and we will let their public sparring continue — and you guys should all be very grateful that we have the most transparent administration in history,” she added.

 

What Elon Musk said during the cabinet meeting

 

Beyond the viral notepad moment, Musk made headlines at the White House cabinet meeting with a bold fiscal claim. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO announced that he expects to save $150 billion in FY2026 through the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

 

This follows Musk’s earlier assertion that DOGE could help the administration identify up to $1 trillion in government savings over time.