On election night, after President-elect Trump secured a second term, Elon Musk was also spotted taking pictures with his family.
When President Trump spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy after the election, Tesla's CEO also joined the call.
And on Wednesday, when President Trump met in Washington with House Republicans gathered for a leadership vote, the SpaceX founder sat in the room with them.
“Elon isn't going home. You can't get him out,” Trump jokingly said, according to people present. “Until I hate him.”
Mr. Musk has been a near-constant presence in Mr. Trump's orbit since the election, providing input on staffing choices and at times being appointed to the role of proposing deep cuts to government spending and regulation. President Trump has shown affection for the billionaire corporate boss, frequently citing him in his speeches.
But some Republicans question how long Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk can happily coexist, especially given Mr. Trump's past complaints about people who attract too much attention.
“Trump is not going to get another alpha. I think he's going to get tired of him,” one person close to the transition told The Hill.
A Republican lobbyist with ties to Mr. Trump said some people around the president-elect think Mr. Musk is “a little too great to his own fault.”
Caroline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump's transition team, did not respond to The Hill's request for comment, but in a statement to NBC News Wednesday called Musk and Trump “great friends and Let's Make America Great Again.” “He is a great leader who will work with us to achieve this goal.”
“Elon Musk is a once-in-a-generation business leader, and our federal bureaucracy will undoubtedly benefit from his ideas and efficiency,” Levitt said.
Musk has become one of the president-elect's most vocal and influential supporters since endorsing Trump shortly after an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania in July.
Musk has poured millions of dollars into pro-Trump super PACs to help increase voter turnout, campaigned for Trump in Pennsylvania and attended multiple Trump rallies, including New York City's Madison Square Garden. attended.
During the transition period, Mr. Musk has been a prominent presence at Mr. Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, where he and his team are gathering to staff the incoming administration. He reportedly participated in Trump's phone call with Zelensky and provided input on possible selections.
Posted by Kai Trump, Trump's granddaughter. X photo On Sunday, alongside Mr. Musk on a Florida golf course, the billionaire joked that he was “earning uncle status.”
And Margo Martin, a longtime Trump aide, posted a video late Wednesday showing the president-elect and Musk singing “God Bless America” at Mar-a-Lago with singer Christopher Macchio. .
In addition to his close relationship with Trump, Musk has been given more formal duties. Musk is co-leading an effort to identify cuts to government spending and regulation, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, who previously ran his own Republican presidential campaign. Withdrew and supported Trump.
The effort, called the Department of Government Efficiency, will function as an external advisory board, meaning Musk will not have a formal government title. But his influence could still be particularly beneficial given how far his company has gone. billions of dollars Something equivalent to a government contract.
While Trump and Musk appear to have a good relationship, the president-elect has historically grown frustrated with people who take too much of the spotlight, especially at his expense.
Steve Bannon was forced out of his post as Trump's senior strategist in 2017 after clashes with other staffers and accusations of leaking information to reporters. Months later, Trump lashed out at Bannon when he was quoted extensively in a book that portrayed him as a central influence in Trump's White House.
Since then, the two men have mended fences, and Mr. Bannon's podcast has become a popular spot for Mr. Trump's allies and conservative voices.
Trump clashed with Dr. Anthony Fauci in 2020, but Fauci's star has emerged as the face of the administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic and as an expert willing to push back on Trump's claims. Trump ultimately put the doctor aside He personally led public briefings on the outbreak.
Republicans close to President Trump have indicated they will assess whether Musk will remain a high-profile figure after the next president takes office.
“I think we'll have to see how everything converges,” a Republican lobbyist with ties to Trump told The Hill. “Did he ever try to be the guy who walks around the White House without a portfolio and intervenes in every issue and every discussion?”
Contributed by Alex Gangitano and Mychael Schnell
