Donald Trump joked he “can’t get rid” of Elon Musk as the billionaire continues to exercise influence over the president-elect.
Trump declared Musk co-chair of the new Department of Government Efficiency on Tuesday with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO leading the agency alongside former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The agency will operate “outside of government,’ the president-elect declared.
And on Wednesday Trump acknowledged the influential billionaire’s current good standing during a meeting with Republican leaders in Washington DC
"Elon won’t go home,” Trump joked to the House Republicans conference. “I can’t get rid of him, at least until I don’t like him.”
Musk has been a constant presence next to Trump as he prepares to take over the White House in January and poured millions of dollars of his riches into Trump’s re-election campaign.
Reports indicate Musk has spent "nearly every day" with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Florida estate. He even joined Trump’s game of golf with his granddaughter, 17-year-old Kai Trump. The billionaire has also sat in on calls with world leaders, including Trump’s discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher told CNN on Sunday morning that Trump insiders were confused and unnerved by the extent of Musk’s influence.
"He definitely inserts himself all the time; that’s his style. That’s why he’s just suddenly shown up there like the guest that wouldn’t leave," she said.
"I’ve heard from Trump people calling me saying, ‘oh wow, this is odd,’” she added. “And I’m like yeah it is, you’ll see much more of it.
The exact contents of their conversation, which took place the same day the presidential election was called in Trump’s favor, aren’t clear.
One unnamed source told the Times that Zelensky called the president-elect to congratulate him, and Trump afterward handed the phone to Musk. Zelensky then thanked the billionaire for his assistance with Starlink. The source described it as a “good talk.”
Another source told Axios that Zelensky thought it was a positive sign that they had a call so soon after Trump secured a second term in the White House.
Musk was also a constant presence on the campaign trail. The billionaire founded the pro-Trump America PAC and even launched a daily lottery last month that awarded $1 million to people who sign a petition supporting First and Second Amendment rights.
Musk and his PAC were later accused of launching an “illegal lottery scheme” to influence voters ahead of the presidential election. But, an attorney for the PAC revealed the “winners” were not “randomly” selected at all.
Swing-state voters who signed the PAC’s petition for a chance to be presented with a novelty-sized check were instead deliberately chosen to be paid “spokespeople” for the group, lawyer Chris Gober told a judge in Philadelphia earlier this month.
