The Trump and Musk complicity
Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2025 10:56 am
This is scarry. Two powerful people getting that close can be a real danger to democracy.
Staff members of Donald Trump have been privately complaining about the new resident at Mar-a-Lago who just won't go, even though Elon Musk's company is still ahead of Trump in terms of personnel and policy.
Even though Musk's influence is shown to have genuine limits and some Trump allies are shocked that the new friendship has persisted, the incoming president still can't seem to get enough of it.
The latest example was Trump and Musk's Tuesday field trip to Texas to witness the billionaire's SpaceX launch.
Bill Hagerty, a leading candidate for Treasury secretary, was among the group of lawmakers and aides that Trump brought along for the launch. Musk welcomed the incoming president with a hug and a tour of his space station.
Over the past two weeks, the world's wealthiest man and the incoming president have remained essentially inseparable. Musk has attended dinners with Trump and his family, listened in on calls with international leaders, and been there whenever the president-elect outlined his plans for his second term in office.
Still, there are indications that Musk’s influence on Trump’s decision-making process extends only so far. Musk has publicly advocated for both personnel and Senate leadership picks that didn’t materialize, while straying from the established talking points of Trump and his staff.
At the same time, Trump’s selection of Brendan Carr as Federal Communications Commission chair this week had Musk’s fingerprints on it. Carr’s advocacy has lined up closely with Musk’s interests throughout 2024, and the two have amplified each other on social media. He’s now poised to shape key parts of Trump administration policy — and in ways that stand to benefit Musk’s businesses, like the satellite broadband service Starlink, which could be in line for more subsidies and contracts.
The push-and-pull is all part of what’s shaping up as perhaps the most important friendship in America. Trump is clearly enamored: He has called Musk a “genius” while listening to ideas and suggestions shared by the quirky Tesla and SpaceX owner. And Musk, who dubbed himself Trump’s “first buddy,” has been particularly captivated by the process of standing up a new White House. He has approached the transition process like a scientist, according to a person close to the former president, picking apart problems and carefully observing as MAGA scenes unfold, like his first UFC fight last weekend.
In the process, he has won over not only Trump but some of his top allies. On the flight to the UFC match, Musk spoke at length with Donald Trump Jr. and other guests about his different ideas.
“I got off the plane, and I was like, I wish we were going 20 times further,” Trump Jr. gushed to Charlie Kirk. “I wish we were there for 20 hours because it was one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve ever had. The level of genius — you can’t even comprehend it. You throw out questions, and I just want to listen.”
But while aides and advisers have complained to the press that Musk is still around and butting into transition decisions, Trump and his family haven’t appeared to care.
“Elon Musk and President Trump are great friends and brilliant leaders working together to Make America Great Again. Elon Musk is a once in a generation businessman and our federal bureaucracy will certainly benefit from his ideas and efficiency,” said Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance transition spokesperson.
In the last week alone, Musk and Trump have met up in Texas — where a Tesla Cybertruck joined Trump’s motorcade — traveled together to Washington, D.C., to address GOP lawmakers, chowed down on McDonald’s in the early hours of the morning, attended a professional fight and sang together in front of all of Trump’s friends at Mar-a-Lago. On election night, Musk and his young son, named X, joined the Trump family photo at the urging of Trump, and Trump’s granddaughter in the days after said that Musk had achieved “uncle status.”
The former president has even joked that he doesn’t know when Musk is going to leave.
“Elon, like President Trump, doesn’t give a shit about what people think about him, and President Trump finds that refreshing,” said a person who has watched him and Musk interact recently. “Elon is probably the only other man in the world who can truly relate to President Trump.”
The friendship appears especially satisfying for Musk, who is in the room for startup-style discussions unlike any he has been part of before.
“There aren’t any larger problems than being the President of the United States. And so I think he’s fascinated with solving problems, and this gives him a front row seat in helping solve problems that you otherwise would never be faced with,” said a person close to Trump.
Though Musk has lost out on some Trump decisions since the election, it’s not as if he’s been without pull. The president-elect’s visit to the SpaceX launch alone is attention most CEOs could only wish for.
Musk last week also was given the newly created title of co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a reference to the cryptocurrency Dogecoin that Musk had previously touted.
In prime 2024 fashion, the story of Trump’s new cost-cutting initiative goes back to Musk’s riff on a podcast a few months ago.
“I have discussed with Trump the idea of a government efficiency commission,” Musk told host Lex Fridman during an August interview. Musk then brought it up with Trump himself during an Aug. 13 conversation on Musk’s social media platform X. Trump responded warmly, calling Musk a “great cutter.”
On Sept. 5 Trump announced that he’d establish the commission, and after his win this month declared the establishment of DOGE.
Musk also influenced Trump on the merits of this novel satellite broadband service. On the campaign trail this fall, Trump said he initially knew little of its operations (“What’s Starlink?” he asked). But when he saw how the satellite service could help during hurricane recovery efforts — and amid talks about the offering with Musk — he marveled over its promise. He recounted satisfied Starlink users who told him the service was “much better than the wires.”
That could lead to tangible benefits for Musk, as Trump agency leaders weigh various technology options to connect more Americans to broadband.
Allies and critics are paying close attention to where the friendship goes from here, given the massive implications.
“It’s a bromance,” said one Mar-a-Lago member who has witnessed Trump and Musk’s interactions, “and they are having a blast.”
Staff members of Donald Trump have been privately complaining about the new resident at Mar-a-Lago who just won't go, even though Elon Musk's company is still ahead of Trump in terms of personnel and policy.
Even though Musk's influence is shown to have genuine limits and some Trump allies are shocked that the new friendship has persisted, the incoming president still can't seem to get enough of it.
The latest example was Trump and Musk's Tuesday field trip to Texas to witness the billionaire's SpaceX launch.
Bill Hagerty, a leading candidate for Treasury secretary, was among the group of lawmakers and aides that Trump brought along for the launch. Musk welcomed the incoming president with a hug and a tour of his space station.
Over the past two weeks, the world's wealthiest man and the incoming president have remained essentially inseparable. Musk has attended dinners with Trump and his family, listened in on calls with international leaders, and been there whenever the president-elect outlined his plans for his second term in office.
Still, there are indications that Musk’s influence on Trump’s decision-making process extends only so far. Musk has publicly advocated for both personnel and Senate leadership picks that didn’t materialize, while straying from the established talking points of Trump and his staff.
At the same time, Trump’s selection of Brendan Carr as Federal Communications Commission chair this week had Musk’s fingerprints on it. Carr’s advocacy has lined up closely with Musk’s interests throughout 2024, and the two have amplified each other on social media. He’s now poised to shape key parts of Trump administration policy — and in ways that stand to benefit Musk’s businesses, like the satellite broadband service Starlink, which could be in line for more subsidies and contracts.
The push-and-pull is all part of what’s shaping up as perhaps the most important friendship in America. Trump is clearly enamored: He has called Musk a “genius” while listening to ideas and suggestions shared by the quirky Tesla and SpaceX owner. And Musk, who dubbed himself Trump’s “first buddy,” has been particularly captivated by the process of standing up a new White House. He has approached the transition process like a scientist, according to a person close to the former president, picking apart problems and carefully observing as MAGA scenes unfold, like his first UFC fight last weekend.
In the process, he has won over not only Trump but some of his top allies. On the flight to the UFC match, Musk spoke at length with Donald Trump Jr. and other guests about his different ideas.
“I got off the plane, and I was like, I wish we were going 20 times further,” Trump Jr. gushed to Charlie Kirk. “I wish we were there for 20 hours because it was one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve ever had. The level of genius — you can’t even comprehend it. You throw out questions, and I just want to listen.”
But while aides and advisers have complained to the press that Musk is still around and butting into transition decisions, Trump and his family haven’t appeared to care.
“Elon Musk and President Trump are great friends and brilliant leaders working together to Make America Great Again. Elon Musk is a once in a generation businessman and our federal bureaucracy will certainly benefit from his ideas and efficiency,” said Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance transition spokesperson.
In the last week alone, Musk and Trump have met up in Texas — where a Tesla Cybertruck joined Trump’s motorcade — traveled together to Washington, D.C., to address GOP lawmakers, chowed down on McDonald’s in the early hours of the morning, attended a professional fight and sang together in front of all of Trump’s friends at Mar-a-Lago. On election night, Musk and his young son, named X, joined the Trump family photo at the urging of Trump, and Trump’s granddaughter in the days after said that Musk had achieved “uncle status.”
The former president has even joked that he doesn’t know when Musk is going to leave.
“Elon, like President Trump, doesn’t give a shit about what people think about him, and President Trump finds that refreshing,” said a person who has watched him and Musk interact recently. “Elon is probably the only other man in the world who can truly relate to President Trump.”
The friendship appears especially satisfying for Musk, who is in the room for startup-style discussions unlike any he has been part of before.
“There aren’t any larger problems than being the President of the United States. And so I think he’s fascinated with solving problems, and this gives him a front row seat in helping solve problems that you otherwise would never be faced with,” said a person close to Trump.
Though Musk has lost out on some Trump decisions since the election, it’s not as if he’s been without pull. The president-elect’s visit to the SpaceX launch alone is attention most CEOs could only wish for.
Musk last week also was given the newly created title of co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a reference to the cryptocurrency Dogecoin that Musk had previously touted.
In prime 2024 fashion, the story of Trump’s new cost-cutting initiative goes back to Musk’s riff on a podcast a few months ago.
“I have discussed with Trump the idea of a government efficiency commission,” Musk told host Lex Fridman during an August interview. Musk then brought it up with Trump himself during an Aug. 13 conversation on Musk’s social media platform X. Trump responded warmly, calling Musk a “great cutter.”
On Sept. 5 Trump announced that he’d establish the commission, and after his win this month declared the establishment of DOGE.
Musk also influenced Trump on the merits of this novel satellite broadband service. On the campaign trail this fall, Trump said he initially knew little of its operations (“What’s Starlink?” he asked). But when he saw how the satellite service could help during hurricane recovery efforts — and amid talks about the offering with Musk — he marveled over its promise. He recounted satisfied Starlink users who told him the service was “much better than the wires.”
That could lead to tangible benefits for Musk, as Trump agency leaders weigh various technology options to connect more Americans to broadband.
Allies and critics are paying close attention to where the friendship goes from here, given the massive implications.
“It’s a bromance,” said one Mar-a-Lago member who has witnessed Trump and Musk’s interactions, “and they are having a blast.”