Elon Musk made headlines on Friday as he appeared alongside Donald Trump in the Oval Office to bid farewell to the White House. However, it was Musk's black eye that caught the attention of most of the viewers, sparking a wave of speculation about he got the shiner, with the billionaire blaming it on playful roughhousing with his four-year-old son, X.
However, online detectives were quick to suggest other possibilities, with some even floating the wild theory that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller was responsible for the bruise. This came as Miller's wife, Katie Miller, announced that she is leaving the Trump administration to join Musk's Tesla.
Who Gave the Black Eye?
Katie Miller announced that she will join Musk full-time and has also been posting regularly on X about Musk's private companies, as well as the cryptocurrency DOGE. Katie Miller, who holds a degree in public administration from George Washington University, previously worked as a special assistant to Trump and served as press secretary to then-Vice President Mike Pence during Trump's first term in office.
Much like Musk, she was also a "Special Government Employee" during Trump's second term, a designation that limited her federal service to a maximum of 130 days.
Katie, 34, married Stephen Miller in 2020 at the Trump Hotel in Washington, as her first stint at the White House came to an end—roughly two years after mutual friends introduced them.
The couple also appear to align on immigration policy. At one point, Homeland Security sent Katie to check family separations at the border firsthand, reportedly in an effort to increase her empathy.
However, according to a conversation Katie Miller had with journalist Jacob Soboroff for his 2020 bestseller Separated: Inside an American Tragedy, the move to make her more sympathetic by witnessing family separations "didn't work."
As both Katie Miller and Musk step away from their respective roles, social media users have been speculating about the origin of Musk's black eye. Notably, some pointed out that the bruise was on Musk's right eye, while Stephen Miller is left-handed — fueling theories that Miller could have landed the blow with his left hand.
Wild Theories Float Online
Adding to the speculation, reports suggest lingering tension between Musk and Miller after Musk publicly criticized Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," arguing it "undermines the efforts" of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would raise the national deficit by between $2.3 trillion and $3.8 trillion over the next ten years.
One user on X posted, "Yoo did Elon Musk get straight up punched in the face? That's a left hook black eye if I've ever seen one. Might explain his delayed talk?"
Another provocative post added fuel to the rumors, claiming, "This is a black eye delivered by someone who can't throw a punch," implying Stephen Miller may have been responsible.
Some users also speculated that Miller was especially upset over his wife's departure from DOGE to join Musk full-time.
Democrats, often short on media attention lately, quickly jumped into the conversation. The Democratic Party's official X account posted a photo of an empty hotel chair, tagging Stephen Miller in a playful reference to the swirling rumor gripping Washington.
Multiple sources said that Katie Miller, a senior adviser and spokesperson for DOGE, is exiting the Trump administration along with Musk and will be joining his expanding business ventures on a full-time basis.
While her exact position has not yet been announced, insiders suggest she will likely be involved in Musk's federal policy efforts and technology-related projects.
