Trump says Elon Musk won’t have time to be in his cabinet, but could ‘consult’
What if tech mogul Elon Musk went to Washington to serve in Donald Trump’s hypothetical cabinet in the White House? Questions like these loom large after the former US President said.
That he would offer Musk a cabinet post. However, breaking the suspense, the Republican presidential nominee hinted that the Tesla CEO is unlikely to serve in his ‘future’ cabinet, saying Musk will be busy managing his companies.
In an interview with formal Navy Seal Shawn Ryan, Trump said that Musk wants to be “involved”; however, “he’s running big businesses and all that, so he can’t, really, I don’t think he could be in cabinet,” CNBC reported.
Reiterating his old offer, Trump said that would “put him in the cabinet, absolutely, but I don’t know how he could do that with all the things he’s got going.”
Trump’s comment might offer him a strategic way to distance himself from his recently established alliance with Musk, should he emerge victorious in the November election against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
CNBC quoted Trump as saying, “He can, as the expression goes, consult with the country and give you some very good ideas.”
He stated that Musk could offer help in areas like artificial intelligence.
Two years ago, Trump and Musk were in an open feud, exchanging insults on social media platforms and at political rallies. From enemies, the duo has emerged as close allies in this election as the Space X CEO wades further into right-wing politics.
Earlier last month, soon after the assassination attempt on the former US President, Musk publicly endorsed Trump for the November elections. Prior to the endorsement, Musk even helped in constituting a pro-Trump political action committee in May.
Meanwhile, Trump reactivated his handle on the X platform after a prolonged absence, during which he exclusively engaged with his followers on Truth Social, the platform owned by Trump Media. This return signals a possible shift in his social media strategy, broadening his outreach as the election draws near.
In an interview on X Space, both leaders floated the idea of governing together if the Republican nominee secures the second term.
“I think it would be great to just have a government efficiency commission,” Musk said in a conversation with Trump earlier this month, streamed on X. “And I’d be happy to help out on such a commission.”