- President Trump said he is personally keeping an eye on Elon Musk's conflicts of interest between his private interests at companies like SpaceX and Tesla, and DOGE. The president then said he didn't know if Musk had met India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, as a private citizen or as a special government employee.
President Donald Trump says he is personally monitoring Elon Musk's conflicts of interest while working at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—but admitted he wasn't sure in which capacity the Tesla boss met India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
Musk's meeting with Modi in Washington, D.C., yesterday happened before the politician sat down with President Trump, with the pair discussing issues such as space and technology.
Given Musk's two major companies—SpaceX and Tesla—operating in these industries, the meeting would ordinarily raise no eyebrows.
However, with Musk currently working as a special government employee in the Trump administration, questions about the overlap between his personal interests and public service continue to mount.
When President Trump was asked whether his ally and major donor Musk had met with Modi as a private citizen or a government staffer, the president was unsure.
"I don't know," President Trump told reporters in the White House. "They met, and I assume he wants to do business in India."
The assumption is not a difficult one to draw. Last year, the Tesla CEO planned to travel to India to meet its Prime Minister, with the aim of scoping out a new Tesla facility.
However, by July 2024, the trail had gone cold: Sources told Bloomberg that the New Delhi trip planned for April had been indefinitely postponed, with executives at the EV maker no longer maintaining contact with Indian government officials.
Musk's interests in India also relate to his satellite company, Starlink, which is currently pending regulatory approval in the country.
In December, Musk confirmed that Starlink is "turned off" over India, as the entrepreneur denied his satellites were being used in the nation for terrorism.s
The rebuttal came after the Indian Army seized weapons and ammunition being used by criminals in the Manipur state. In a photo posted by the army on X, a box bearing the Starlink logo can be seen.
Musk countered Starlink equipment can't be used for such criminal activity because the country has no access.
This is false. Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2024
Musk under control
President Trump insists that he is aware of Musk's conflicts of interest while working at DOGE, despite not knowing if the richest man on the planet met with Modi in a CEO or political capacity.
"We won't let [Musk] do anything having to do with a conflict," Trump told reporters Thursday.
When asked if he was personally assured no conflicts would arise, Trump added: "Yeah, I am… first of all, he wouldn't do it, and second of all, we're not going to let him do anything where there's a conflict of interest."
This is a previous departure from the party line, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously saying it would be left to Musk himself to recuse himself if such a conflict arose.
The President also denied that Musk will secure any new relevant government contracts while working on DOGE.
"I guess if there's no conflict then what difference does it make," President Trump added.
