Elon Musk is already flexing his influence with Donald Trump. Here's how
Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is riding high right now. After months of work campaigning on President-elect Donald Trump’s behalf, his chosen candidate is heading back to the White House, proving that his latest gamble was a success — and earning him more sway with the upcoming administration.
Musk has agreed to lead what he and Trump call the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a commission that would audit the “entire” federal government and recommend reforms, although the exact nature of his role is still unclear. Musk has said he wants to cut some $2 trillion in government spending and slash burdensome regulations affecting his companies and beyond.
Although Trump’s inauguration is still months away, Musk has already started flexing his influence, attending meetings unannounced and throwing his weight behind a handful of movements. Here’s what we know he’s doing so far.
A meeting with Zelenskyy
When Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, an unexpected guest made an appearance — Musk, according to Axios.
Axios, citing three sources briefed on the call, reported that Musk said he would continue supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russia with his Starlink’s satellites. NBC News reported that Musk wasn’t scheduled to be on the call but walked into the room and greeted the Ukrainian leader.
“President Trump was likely near Musk and at some point handed him the phone,” a source in Zelenskyy’s office told NBC. “That’s not the same as being directly on the call. President Zelenskyy thanked Musk for the Starlink. They spoke briefly.”
Musk’s relationship with Zelenskyy has been complicated. The U.S. sent thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine at the beginning of the war with Russia in February 2022, with Musk offering free access to the system, which was a valuable tool in its ability to fight back against invading forces. Ukraine received 10,000 Starlink terminals that year.
However, as the service grew more expensive, Musk threatened to cut off funding and restricted its use. In June, the U.S. Space Force extended its contract with SpaceX until Nov. 30 to the tune of $14.1 million, bringing its total cost to about $40 million.
In October 2022, Musk was hit with a barrage of criticism after he proposed that Ukraine cede some of its territory to Russia and repeated Kremlin talking points. Earlier this year, Starlink terminals were found being resold in Russia and delivered to the front lines of Ukraine by volunteers.
In October, the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladamir Putin, raising security concerns. Through SpaceX, Musk has received “top-secret” government clearance, and his company has notched at least $15.4 billion in contracts.
“If the story is true that there have been multiple conversations between Elon Musk and the president of Russia,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at a conference last month, “then I think that would be concerning, particularly for NASA, for the Department of Defense, for some of the intelligence agencies.”
Musk was also present for another call between Trump and a world leader: a Wednesday meeting with Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Trump has often spoken favorably of Erdoğan, declaring himself a “big fan” of the strongman in 2019.
The Turkish president has asked Musk to build a Tesla factory in his country, while Starlink is seeking regulatory approval to operate there.
#EndTheFed
On Friday, Musk signaled his support for canceling the Federal Reserve, sharing a post from Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.
“The Executive Branch should be under the direction of the president. That’s how the Constitution was designed. The Federal Reserve is one of many examples of how we’ve deviated from the Constitution in that regard,” Lee wrote.
“Yet another reason why we should #EndTheFed,” he added.
Lee’s response comes after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who was appointed by Trump in 2017 during his first term in office, said he would not resign if Trump asked him to do so. His term as Fed chair is set to end in May 2026.
“Not permitted under the law,” he said at a press conference last week in response to a question about whether the president would have the power to fire or demote him.
Conservatives have said for years that Congress should audit the Fed and become more active when it comes to monetary policy, making arguments for eroding its independence. During his first term, Trump heavily criticized Powell for his handling of the economy, including the pace of monetary easing
“Jay Powell and the Federal Reserve Fail Again,” Trump tweeted in September 2019. “No ‘guts,’ no sense, no vision! A terrible communicator!”
Although Trump has distanced himself from drafted proposals to erode the Fed’s independence, the president-elect has supported some of its tenants. In October, he said that the president should have “at least” a say on the Fed’s actions, adding that “I think I have a better instinct than in many cases, people that would be on the Federal Reserve or the chairman.”
A rally for Rick Scott
Rick Scott, the junior Republican representing Florida in the Senate, is one of three front-runners to take over for Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell as the Senate’s majority leader next year. Although he’s trailing behind his rivals, Scott does have Musk — and other prominent conservatives — in his corner.
“Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!” Musk wrote on X (META), quote tweeting Scott’s rush to support Trump’s call for recess appointments for his nominees, a way for presidents to essentially bypass Congress.
Scott is running against Senate Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas in a race that has Scott as the underdog, according to Punchbowl News. He previously challenged McConnell in 2022 — and his defeat came shortly before he was stripped of his seat on the Senate’s Commerce Committee.
On Sunday, Musk polled his followers on who they would prefer to see as the majority leader, with the results showing a 65% preference for Scott. “The new Senate Majority Leader must respond to the will of the people,” Musk wrote Monday morning, adding in another post that Thune is the “top choice of Democrats.”
A number of Republicans have endorsed Scott, including fellow Floridian Sen. Marco Rubio and Kentucky’s Sen. Rand Paul, while Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley has endorsed Cornyn. Hawley has been attacked by conservatives over that endorsement.
Thune has asked Trump not to endorse a candidate in the race, which is set to be voted on Wednesday by secret ballot, just hours before Trump meets with President Joe Biden at the White House.
Beyond the Senate, Musk has weighed in on some of Trump’s early picks for key positions.
He’s congratulated Tom Homan, the CEO of Border911 and former acting head of Immigration and Customers Enforcement, who has been picked as Trump’s “border czar.” Musk has also cautioned that it may be “too dicey” for New York Rep. Elise Stefanik to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
— Rocio Fabbro contributed to this article
