Elon Musk says he’s had little to do with Trump’s cabinet picks — he just likes ‘spending time’ with the man
“My direct experience is that he is a great guy with an excellent sense of humor,” Elon Musk said of President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday.
Elon Musk says he’s had little input on President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks.
“To be clear, while I have offered my opinion on some cabinet candidates, many selections occur without my knowledge and decisions are 100% that of the President,” Musk wrote in an X post on Wednesday.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO was responding to a November 20 story by the New York Post on his relationship with the president-elect.
“I really enjoy spending time with President @realDonaldTrump. My direct experience is that he is a great guy with an excellent sense of humor. Haven’t seen him do one bad thing even once,” Musk said in the same post.
Musk has been a frequent fixture at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
On Saturday night, Musk was spotted attending a UFC championship fight with Trump at Madison Square Garden. He was also photographed riding on Trump’s private plane with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Make America Healthy Again starts TOMORROW. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/LLzr5S9ugf
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 17, 2024
And on Tuesday, Trump joined Musk at SpaceX’s Starship launch at Boca Chica, Texas.
Representatives for Trump did not respond to a request for comment from B-17.
Musk’s influence in the political world has grown since Trump was re-elected. He was a major contributor to Trump’s campaign, spending just under $119 million on his pro-Trump political action committee, America PAC.
His proximity to Trump has come with valuable access. Musk, according to multiple media reports, has joined Trump’s calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
On November 12, Trump announced that Musk would lead the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Musk will not be an official Cabinet member, given that DOGE is not an official government department.
That hasn’t stopped Musk from weighing in publicly on political developments.
Musk endorsed Sen. Rick Scott of Florida for Senate majority leader. Trump did not endorse any candidate for the position.
Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader! https://t.co/lpT34yHTKk
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 10, 2024
After a secret ballot among Republican senators, the job went to Sen. John Thune of South Dakota.
Musk also pushed for Cantor Fitzgerald CEO and Trump transition team cochair Howard Lutnick to helm the Treasury Department.
Lutnick, Musk wrote in an X post on November 16, “will actually enact change,” compared to another candidate, hedge fund CEO Scott Bessent.
Picking Bessent would be a “business-as-usual choice,” Musk said.
On Tuesday, Trump announced Lutnick would serve as his commerce secretary instead. Trump has yet to name his pick for treasury secretary.
