President-elect Donald Trump and his billionaire friend Elon Musk will inevitably clash over egos once their post-campaign honeymoon ends, CNN analysts predict.
But tech journalist Kara Swisher said on “The Chris Wallace Show” over the weekend that Trump would ultimately have the upper hand in a battle between the two.
“I repeat my point about Elon Musk and Donald Trump. One of my favorite movies is 'Highlander,' and there's only one,” he said, quoting a famous line from the 1986 film. she said.
“And that's going to be Donald Trump. And I think you can see what happens in the wake of that.”
Musk, the world's richest man as founder of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Company X, helped push Trump back into the White House with his American PAC and social media platforms.
However, Ms. Swisher said she believed their controlling personalities would cause tension and ultimately ruin their friendship.
Meanwhile, Musk wields incredible power in the tech industry, and while many tech CEOs were quick to congratulate Trump after his landslide victory, “mostly Elon's Because they're afraid of influence and they want to have influence,” Swisher said. .
Mr. Wallace mentioned that Axios story An article published last week described Musk as “the most powerful unelected person in history.”
However, the host noted that Trump “doesn't like to share the spotlight.”
Swisher predicted a potential rift between the two would stem from a need for attention rather than political differences.
“If you compare Bannon and Musk's need for attention, Bannon is like a kitten. Elon needs a lot of attention, and Trump would be annoyed by it,” she said of Trump's ultra-conservative cronies. He concluded by mentioning Steve Bannon.
Trump's relationship with Musk during the presidential campaign has led many to speculate that the Tesla CEO could play a key role in the next Republican administration.
Musk already spoke by phone with Trump last week to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, underscoring how close the two sides are.
The two were also spotted having lunch together at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday, following Trump's landslide victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
Musk also appeared in Trump's family photo after the election, and was seen walking with the president-elect and his children through a gift shop at Mar-a-Lago.
