In an interview with Reuters on August 19, Republican nominee for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump, has expressed interest in appointing Tesla CEO.
Trump did not specify which department Musk might lead. This announcement follows a conversation between Trump and Musk on X Spaces on August 13, which was delayed due to what Musk described as a "massive DDoS attack."
Musk did not support Trump in the 2020 election against Joe Biden. In 2022, Musk suggested that Trump should retire from politics. However, Musk recently endorsed Trump and criticized policies from Biden and Harris. Trump, at a recent rally, praised Musk as a "very smart guy" and expressed support for electric vehicles due to Musk's endorsement.
Trump was banned from X, formerly Twitter, in January 2021 after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Musk reinstated Trump’s account in 2022 after acquiring the platform, but Trump primarily uses his own platform, Truth Social. He returned to X briefly in August 2023 to post his mugshot following legal challenges in Georgia.
Reports indicated Musk might donate $45 million monthly to Trump's reelection campaign, which Musk denied, stating he would contribute at a lower level to a political action committee. As the election approaches, polls show Trump and Harris in a tight race, with the Democratic candidate slightly ahead in some key states. They are set to debate on September 10.