In a livestreamed dialog on his social platform X with former President Donald Trump final month, Elon Musk raised the thought of a “authorities effectivity fee.” Such a council may be certain that taxpayers’ cash was “spent in a great way,” Musk stated throughout their more-than-two-hour discuss.
“I would like it,” Trump stated.
On Thursday, Trump adopted up on Musk’s suggestion.In a speech on the Financial Membership of New York, Trump stated he deliberate to nominate Musk, who leads Tesla, SpaceX and X, as the pinnacle of a brand new authorities effectivity fee if he was elected president in November.
The fee would audit the “complete federal authorities” and “make suggestions for drastic reforms,” Trump stated.
The announcement capped weeks of discussions between Trump and Musk, who’ve bonded over a mutual hobbyhorse of eliminating wasteful spending, three folks near the lads stated. Trump has informed Musk that he needs the tech entrepreneur to slash the federal authorities’s prices, simply as he did at X, one of many folks stated.
Musk, the world’s richest man, has began to affect Trump because the Republican presidential nominee heads into November’s election. That the tech mogul has the ear of the candidate throws open what every can get out of an alliance — and creates a possible minefield. Their political friendship is especially difficult as a result of Musk has a sprawling set of companies, which can current conflicts of curiosity if Trump is elected.
Notably, Musk’s rocket firm, SpaceX, and his electrical automaker, Tesla, have acquired billions of {dollars} in federal contracts and subsidies. Musk and a few of his corporations are additionally below scrutiny for varied infractions from federal businesses together with the Division of Justice, the Federal Commerce Fee, and the Securities and Change Fee.
“The conflict-of-interest challenge is without doubt one of the extra apparent issues on this appointment, with SpaceX having authorities contracts and Tesla benefiting from federal tax credit,” stated Ann Skeet, a senior director on the Markkula Middle for Utilized Ethics at Santa Clara College. “That is simply what occurs if Musk is able of energy in a authorities company.”
Musk, 53, has wooed right-wing world leaders earlier than to learn himself and his corporations. In Brazil, he turned shut with then-President Jair Bolsonaro as he sought benefits for SpaceX. Musk additionally ardently helps President Javier Milei of Argentina, a rustic with considerable deposits of lithium, a mineral utilized in Tesla’s automotive batteries. Milei has promised to chop authorities spending and encourage mining operations.
Musk, who endorsed Trump for the presidency in July, didn’t reply to a request for remark. Earlier than Trump’s speech Thursday, Musk posted on X: “I look ahead to serving America if the chance arises. No pay, no title, no recognition is required.”
Brian Hughes, a senior adviser to the Trump marketing campaign, stated in a press release, “Elon Musk has devoted himself to America’s future by providing to serve with President Trump to make sure our authorities works extra effectively and makes use of America’s taxpayer {dollars} successfully.” He added that Trump, 78, was “dedicated to having Mr. Musk lead this fee to investigate the performance of our authorities.”
Musk has lengthy used his account on X, the place he has almost 197 million followers, to push his political beliefs. In current weeks, he has posted messages excoriating the Biden administration’s insurance policies on authorities spending and criticizing the marketing campaign guarantees of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee.
A few of his posts have change into extra erratic. On Sunday, Musk endorsed a publish that recommended that ladies didn’t have the power for important thought and mustn’t take part in authorities or democracy. On Monday, he shared a synthetic intelligence-generated picture of Harris dressed as a communist.
Musk has additionally posted about spending cuts. He has expressed issues over what he views as wasteful prices at his companies, together with at X, the place he slashed greater than 75% of the workforce in 2022 and 2023. X’s market valuation has dropped greater than 55% since Musk purchased the corporate in 2022, as advertisers have shied from the platform.
“Authorities spending is driving America to chapter,” Musk posted on X on Thursday.
Musk and Trump weren’t at all times followers of one another. Musk beforehand stated Trump ought to “sail into the sundown” and as a substitute supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump as soon as used an expletive to explain Musk as a phony.
However their political relationship was kindled with a gathering in March in Palm Seaside, Florida, as Trump sought money infusions for his marketing campaign. Round then, Musk additionally informed a good friend that he wished to maintain his help for Trump quiet whereas backing him financially, the good friend recalled.
Musk has since deserted that warning. Over the spring, he seeded a pro-Trump tremendous political motion committee and deliberate to place as a lot as $180 million into the group. He additionally recruited a few of his mates, corresponding to tech investor Joe Lonsdale, to entrance a few of the early cash for the PAC, which deliberate to do subject organizing for Trump.
However the foray has not been clean. Musk employed a workforce for the PAC that he met by Texas politics, however fired them after about two months, changing them with nationwide political operatives who had labored for DeSantis. Hundreds of subject organizers have been affected by the change.
Musk has since employed a prime Republican political operative, Chris Younger, to personally advise him on methods to develop extra refined in his political work.
In June, at Tesla’s annual shareholder assembly, Musk stated he and Trump had been talking. “I’ve had some conversations with him, and he does name me out of the blue for no cause,” Musk stated.
After an assassination try in opposition to Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, Musk determined to publicly converse up about his help for the Republican candidate.
“I absolutely endorse President Trump and hope for his speedy restoration,” Musk wrote on X. He later posted {a photograph} of Trump moments after the assassination try and added: “Final time America had a candidate this robust was Theodore Roosevelt.”
Throughout their dialog on X final month, Trump known as Musk “the best cutter” and praised him for firing staff who wished to strike. In a podcast look just a few weeks later, Trump known as Musk a “good man” who could possibly be a marketing consultant to his administration “concerned in chopping a few of the fats.”
On Thursday, Trump supplied few particulars of what an effectivity fee would do, however he stated “fraud and improper funds” had value taxpayers “tons of of billions of {dollars}.” He didn’t say if Musk deliberate to divest from or take time without work from his corporations for the function, ought to it come to cross.
“As the primary order of enterprise, this fee will develop an motion plan to completely remove fraud and improper funds inside six months, saving trillions of {dollars},” Trump stated, with out offering any proof.
“I would like it,” Trump stated.
On Thursday, Trump adopted up on Musk’s suggestion.In a speech on the Financial Membership of New York, Trump stated he deliberate to nominate Musk, who leads Tesla, SpaceX and X, as the pinnacle of a brand new authorities effectivity fee if he was elected president in November.
The fee would audit the “complete federal authorities” and “make suggestions for drastic reforms,” Trump stated.
The announcement capped weeks of discussions between Trump and Musk, who’ve bonded over a mutual hobbyhorse of eliminating wasteful spending, three folks near the lads stated. Trump has informed Musk that he needs the tech entrepreneur to slash the federal authorities’s prices, simply as he did at X, one of many folks stated.
Musk, the world’s richest man, has began to affect Trump because the Republican presidential nominee heads into November’s election. That the tech mogul has the ear of the candidate throws open what every can get out of an alliance — and creates a possible minefield. Their political friendship is especially difficult as a result of Musk has a sprawling set of companies, which can current conflicts of curiosity if Trump is elected.
Notably, Musk’s rocket firm, SpaceX, and his electrical automaker, Tesla, have acquired billions of {dollars} in federal contracts and subsidies. Musk and a few of his corporations are additionally below scrutiny for varied infractions from federal businesses together with the Division of Justice, the Federal Commerce Fee, and the Securities and Change Fee.
“The conflict-of-interest challenge is without doubt one of the extra apparent issues on this appointment, with SpaceX having authorities contracts and Tesla benefiting from federal tax credit,” stated Ann Skeet, a senior director on the Markkula Middle for Utilized Ethics at Santa Clara College. “That is simply what occurs if Musk is able of energy in a authorities company.”
Musk, 53, has wooed right-wing world leaders earlier than to learn himself and his corporations. In Brazil, he turned shut with then-President Jair Bolsonaro as he sought benefits for SpaceX. Musk additionally ardently helps President Javier Milei of Argentina, a rustic with considerable deposits of lithium, a mineral utilized in Tesla’s automotive batteries. Milei has promised to chop authorities spending and encourage mining operations.
Musk, who endorsed Trump for the presidency in July, didn’t reply to a request for remark. Earlier than Trump’s speech Thursday, Musk posted on X: “I look ahead to serving America if the chance arises. No pay, no title, no recognition is required.”
Brian Hughes, a senior adviser to the Trump marketing campaign, stated in a press release, “Elon Musk has devoted himself to America’s future by providing to serve with President Trump to make sure our authorities works extra effectively and makes use of America’s taxpayer {dollars} successfully.” He added that Trump, 78, was “dedicated to having Mr. Musk lead this fee to investigate the performance of our authorities.”
Musk has lengthy used his account on X, the place he has almost 197 million followers, to push his political beliefs. In current weeks, he has posted messages excoriating the Biden administration’s insurance policies on authorities spending and criticizing the marketing campaign guarantees of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee.
A few of his posts have change into extra erratic. On Sunday, Musk endorsed a publish that recommended that ladies didn’t have the power for important thought and mustn’t take part in authorities or democracy. On Monday, he shared a synthetic intelligence-generated picture of Harris dressed as a communist.
Musk has additionally posted about spending cuts. He has expressed issues over what he views as wasteful prices at his companies, together with at X, the place he slashed greater than 75% of the workforce in 2022 and 2023. X’s market valuation has dropped greater than 55% since Musk purchased the corporate in 2022, as advertisers have shied from the platform.
“Authorities spending is driving America to chapter,” Musk posted on X on Thursday.
Musk and Trump weren’t at all times followers of one another. Musk beforehand stated Trump ought to “sail into the sundown” and as a substitute supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump as soon as used an expletive to explain Musk as a phony.
However their political relationship was kindled with a gathering in March in Palm Seaside, Florida, as Trump sought money infusions for his marketing campaign. Round then, Musk additionally informed a good friend that he wished to maintain his help for Trump quiet whereas backing him financially, the good friend recalled.
Musk has since deserted that warning. Over the spring, he seeded a pro-Trump tremendous political motion committee and deliberate to place as a lot as $180 million into the group. He additionally recruited a few of his mates, corresponding to tech investor Joe Lonsdale, to entrance a few of the early cash for the PAC, which deliberate to do subject organizing for Trump.
However the foray has not been clean. Musk employed a workforce for the PAC that he met by Texas politics, however fired them after about two months, changing them with nationwide political operatives who had labored for DeSantis. Hundreds of subject organizers have been affected by the change.
Musk has since employed a prime Republican political operative, Chris Younger, to personally advise him on methods to develop extra refined in his political work.
In June, at Tesla’s annual shareholder assembly, Musk stated he and Trump had been talking. “I’ve had some conversations with him, and he does name me out of the blue for no cause,” Musk stated.
After an assassination try in opposition to Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, Musk determined to publicly converse up about his help for the Republican candidate.
“I absolutely endorse President Trump and hope for his speedy restoration,” Musk wrote on X. He later posted {a photograph} of Trump moments after the assassination try and added: “Final time America had a candidate this robust was Theodore Roosevelt.”
Throughout their dialog on X final month, Trump known as Musk “the best cutter” and praised him for firing staff who wished to strike. In a podcast look just a few weeks later, Trump known as Musk a “good man” who could possibly be a marketing consultant to his administration “concerned in chopping a few of the fats.”
On Thursday, Trump supplied few particulars of what an effectivity fee would do, however he stated “fraud and improper funds” had value taxpayers “tons of of billions of {dollars}.” He didn’t say if Musk deliberate to divest from or take time without work from his corporations for the function, ought to it come to cross.
“As the primary order of enterprise, this fee will develop an motion plan to completely remove fraud and improper funds inside six months, saving trillions of {dollars},” Trump stated, with out offering any proof.
