Tesla CEO Elon Musk is already making his impact on the second Trump administration felt, signaled through his participation in a phone call between President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This pattern continued this week when Serbian President Alexander Vucic said Musk participated in his first call with Trump after his victory.
“President Trump knows Serbia very well, and Elon Musk, who was with him, as well as [Newsmax CEO] Chris Ruddy, also know it particularly well, maybe even the best,” Vucic told Serbian media.
Musk’s participation in such high-level talks is the latest signal of the prominent position he is likely to hold in the next Trump administration despite his relatively new appearance on the political scene.
According to several sources speaking with ABC News, Musk has spent nearly every day at Mar-a-Lago since Trump’s election. They added that Musk is weighing in heavily on Trump’s staffing picks for his next administration, though Musk’s preferences for Cabinet picks are also unknown.
Musk helped put wind in the sails of Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) for Senate leader, who Trump allies are now supporting over Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and John Cornyn (R-TX). He commissioned an impromptu poll on X, which showed Scott as the clear winner.
Musk is also close with Howard Lutnick, who runs Trump’s transition efforts. According to Lutnick, he was the first to propose the Department of Government Efficiency, an idea Musk has spoken at length about since.
Lutnick has touted himself, Trump, and Musk as a trio.
“Me, Elon Musk, and Trump are going to figure it out,” Lutnick said of the U.S. economic situation in a conversation with entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano shortly before the election.
In addition to calls with Zelensky and Vucic, Musk also took part in a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the outlet. The South African billionaire is also expected to attend a meeting between Trump and Argentinian President Javier Milei later this week.
Musk has played a substantial foreign policy role in the Biden administration as well. Despite voicing skepticism about some aid to Ukraine, Musk’s Starlink single-handedly saved Ukraine’s communications network after it was destroyed in the initial days of the Russian invasion.
Trump and Musk have grown closer personally as well. Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, posted a photo on Monday of her and the billionaire on a golf course, saying he was “achieving uncle status.”
Elon achieving uncle status
pic.twitter.com/vufSffziZN
— Kai Trump (@KaiTrump) November 10, 2024
The Tesla CEO largely fell in the Democratic camp for years, vaunted by liberal figures for his efforts to combat climate change. This began to change over the past few years over topics such as social progressivism (particularly transgender issues) and regulation. Musk completed his transformation into a right-wing hero after endorsing Trump moments after the assassination attempt against him at a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Musk played a decisive role in the 2024 elections, heaping extensive financial aid on Trump through his America PAC. The Trump campaign largely outsourced its ground game to Musk and the political action committee. The X CEO also devoted liberal praise toward Trump on the app, hosting a space where the two talked for hours.
America PAC ended up spending over $200 million to get Trump elected.
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By November, Musk was one of Trump’s largest backers, appearing alongside him at his return to Butler rally and campaigning for him in Pennsylvania. A controversial lottery to register voters drew in tens of thousands of voters, as well as legal scrutiny.
The efforts of the world’s richest man paid off, with Trump winning a crushing electoral victory on Nov. 5. Trump now seems poised to reward his new ally further.
