CNN political analyst and New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman said President-elect Trump's decision to include billionaire Elon Musk on a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was a sign of a lack of support for the president. He suggested it was a “way of showing off.”
“I think it's a matter of trust. Also, Trump likes to impress others, and Elon Musk is the richest man in the world, and that's one thing for Zelensky to show off. I think so,” Haberman told CNN's Caitlan. Collins on Friday.
“I also think it's kind of a dominant play,” Haberman added.
During the interview, Haberman pointed out: report The Wall Street Journal reported on the alleged contact between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Musk.
“There's been a lot of reporting on that in the Wall Street Journal, but I don't think that's completely far from Donald Trump's mind when he's doing this,” Haberman said. ” he said.
“So this call got a lot of attention for a lot of reasons. Mr. Musk's various ties to the government and his interest in things like government endorsements and government contracts will be a big topic of discussion in the coming months.” “Maybe,” she added.
Zelenskiy said he had a productive conversation with Trump after the Republican Party secured the presidential victory.
“It was a productive conversation, a good conversation,” Zelenskiy said Wednesday of his phone call with Trump. “Of course, we don't yet know what his actions will be. But we want America to be stronger.”
“This is the kind of America that Europe needs. And I think what America needs is a strong Europe,” he continued. “This is a connection between allies that must be cherished and cannot be lost.”
Asked during the interview how much influence Musk could have on President Trump's second term, Haberman said that Musk frequently attends Mar-a-Lago. said he believed billionaires could have “tremendous” influence.
“I believe he is influential. Does that mean he influences everything? No. But even if he never actually formally joins the government, he is It will leave its mark forever,” Haberman said.
