Over more than 50 days in the Second Trump administration, the highly scrutinized relationship between President Trump and Elon Musk shows no signs of real tension.
Trump gave a show of flashy support to Mask and his company this week by announcing that he was buying Tesla's car to the White House and buying it for the complex. The president used the exhibition to promote Tesla's products, a display that praised the mask as a “patriot” and protested by critics.
Musk and his young son X are almost constant on the White House campus, with the billionaire traveling with the Air Force president last weekend.
Lovefest ignored predictions from Republicans and Democrats, including some of the president's orbit. Trump, argued by skeptics, would not be able to stand sharing the spotlight with Mask, the world's wealthiest man.
Sources close to the White House still questioned what would happen Musk Special civil servants Your status will expire at the end of May. However, the two men have developed strong bonds in mutually beneficial relationships.
“He respects Elon,” Sean Spicer said. “And Elon respects him.”
Trump has historically been annoyed by people who have been in the spotlight, particularly at his expense. His relationship with Steve Bannon and Dr. Anthony Forsey worsened as these two attracted more attention during his first term.
Mask has been sharing the spotlight with cards for months.
Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder were frequent at Mar-A-Lago during the transition. He took on a major role in leading the Ministry of Government Efficiency (DOGE). And he occasionally clashed with other Trump supporters, including X, the social media platform he owns.
It has become a simple target for Democrats who have tried to force a wedge between the two.
Democrats laughed at Trump by calling the billionaire adviser “President Musk.” They cast relationships as cases of blatant corruption due to Musk's extensive government contracts.
But aside the occasional rib cage, Trump generally praised Musk and embraced their work relationship.
Musk was part of the Cabinet meeting and traveled with Trump in Air Force 1. The two participated in a joint interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity in February.
Trump has repeatedly promoted Musk and Doji's work, eagerly highlighting examples of cancelled contracts and allegations of fraud imposed by Tesla's CEO and his team.
“I think Trump really agrees with the Doge approach,” said one source close to the White House. “He loves being able to say, 'These IQ geniuses who went to these great schools do this.' ”
Even when Trump pushed Musk back, it was relatively mild. Musk was modest to Cabinet officials about reducing the size of the federal workforce during last week's meeting. It peaked in Trump, where ministerial leaders, not masks, were in charge of their division, but the president provided warnings that if the agency heads did not take action, masks would intervene.
This week, the most spectacular exhibit of Trump's support for Trump's masks came in the White House driveway.
The president had delivered five Tesla vehicles to campus. There, Trump delivered what became a basic promotion for Musk and his company when Tesla stocks were sluggish and the facility targeted protests and vandalism.
“This guy has dedicated his energy and his life to doing this. I think he is being treated very unfairly by a very small group. And I want people to know that you are not punished for being a patriot. And he is a great patriot,” Trump said as Musk stood by him.
“He didn't have to go through this, and we can't make it happen. Apart from that, I just happen to love the product,” Trump added.
Musk repeatedly declared his love for Trump on his side.
“I love @RealdonaldTrump.
Musk is being told I tried to contribute $100 million in Trump's political campaign is a massive commitment that underlines his commitment to the president.
Tesla's CEO told Fox Business Network that working with Doge is not possible without Trump's support. Musk said he plans to continue his work to cut the size and scope of the government by another year.
However, his position as a special civil servant will only last for 130 days and will expire at the end of May. It is unclear what the exact role of masks will be after that.
There is still skepticism that Trump and Musk are built to last.
a CNN polls Released this week, it found that 53% of voters have negative opinions about musk, and about 60% of voters don't think masks have the right experience or the right decision to change how government works.
A Republican strategist pointed out by Doge. The reverse plan The government lease in Oklahoma will be terminated after an outreach from Republican Rep. Tom Cole (Oklahoma). The strategists proposed that a pick-and-chew approach that supports certain lawmakers and districts could lead to backlash.
And then there's the question of what happens if Mask's special government official status expires and he's no longer a White House fixture.
“What happens if he's not there every day? Does the president call him?” said one Republican strategist who asked for anonymity. “That's the real question mark in my eyes. What happens when he's no longer a special government employee and is active at that level. What does that look like?”
