Elon Musk Has Been with Donald Trump 'Nearly Every Single Day' Since Election, 'Weighing In on Staffing Decisions': Report
Though he is not expected to formally fill a position in Trump's administration, Musk "is having just as much influence from the outside," per a CNN source
As Donald Trump shapes his incoming administration, Elon Musk is exercising his influence.
Since securing his second term in the White House, the president-elect, 78, has been spending his time in his private Palm Beach club, Mar-a-Lago, where everyone from world leaders and Trump administration hopefuls have flocked to seek face time with him, CNN and the BBC reported.
According to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who has sources inside the Florida hub, “Staffing was one of Trump’s biggest regrets in his first term, and he has vowed to get it right this time, which for him means hiring people who are more loyal to him and less likely to push back.”
Elon Musk "has been seen at Mar-a-Lago nearly every single day since Donald Trump won, dining with him on the patio at times" and "weighing in on staffing decisions, making clear his preference for certain roles," @kaitlancollins reports pic.twitter.com/iIueEaP7mi
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 11, 2024
"Apparently, there are many people eager to meet that requirement,” she said on CNN. “Mar-a-Lago has basically been brimming for the last two days, I’m told, with two kinds of people: those angling for a job and those who are trying to influence Trump into hiring their picks.”
Chief among the latter group is Musk, 53, who immediately emerged as a fixture at the club, where he has been “weighing in” on who should fill every role, according to Collins' sources.
Related: Elon Musk Has Been in Close Contact with Vladimir Putin: Report
The Tesla CEO has been at Mar-a-Lago “nearly every single day” since Trump’s Nov. 6 victory over Kamala Harris, multiple sources have informed the journalist.
The tech billionaire has not only been seen golfing and dining with the president-elect, but has also been in the room as Trump speaks with world leaders on the phone, according to the insiders.
Furthermore, there have been in-person meetings specifically scheduled between Musk, Trump and world leaders — including one with Argentina’s President Javier Milei next week, BBC reported. He is "weighing in on staffing decisions,” Collins said. "Making clear his preference for certain roles, even.”
Though Musk — who is the richest man in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index — is not expected to fill any formal positions within the incoming Trump administration, it is becoming increasingly clear that he “doesn’t really need to,” Collins also noted.
He doesn’t need an official role because, as one of her sources phrased it, Musk “is having just as much influence from the outside.”
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Musk has also voiced some of his staffing opinions, recently endorsing Florida lawmaker Rick Scott for Senate majority leader in a Nov. 10 post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
He was also a very public supporter of Trump himself throughout his bid for a second term. He even announced plans to randomly award $1 million every day to Trump’s swing state supporters, a move that called for investigation for potentially violating federal election laws.