Earlier last month, reports surfaced that former US President Donald Trump was considering offering a cabinet position to Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. However, recent information from The Washington Post suggests that Trump is now contemplating a different role for Musk. Instead of a cabinet post, Trump is thinking about enlisting Musk and other prominent business leaders to audit federal agencies, aiming to streamline operations and cut unnecessary regulations.
Elon Musk has shown interest in this potential role. He reposted a message on X (formerly Twitter) about the Trump-Musk news, commenting, “I can’t wait. There is a lot of waste and needless regulation in government that needs to go.” This statement reflects Musk’s well-known stance on reducing inefficiency and waste, which he has often applied in his business ventures.
When asked about the possibility of Musk joining his administration, Trump expressed strong enthusiasm, praising Musk as a “very smart guy” and a “brilliant” individual. Trump’s interest in Musk’s involvement likely stems from Musk’s reputation for streamlining operations and cutting costs, as demonstrated by his significant layoffs at X, where he reduced the workforce by 90%. This efficiency-focused mindset aligns with Trump’s proposed government efficiency commission, a concept Musk suggested during a two-hour live interview on Musk’s social media platform.
Despite their apparent synergy, potential conflicts could arise, particularly regarding Trump’s stance on electric vehicle (EV) policies. Tesla, Musk’s flagship company, could be impacted by any changes in federal EV regulations.
On the other hand, Tesla has benefited from federal support, such as $36 million in funding to expand EV charging infrastructure across the US. Additionally, Musk’s other venture, SpaceX, has secured a significant contract with NASA, worth up to $4.4 billion, to develop a human landing system for the Artemis lunar programme. To date, SpaceX has received $2.2 billion under this agreement.