Former President Donald Trump has reportedly been in talks with Tesla CEO Elon Musk regarding a possible advisory role for the tech mogul within his administration should he retake the White House in November, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to sources familiar with the situation, Musk, once a critic of the former president, could potentially influence policies related to border security, the economy, and efforts to curb voter fraud.
As the Journal notes, Trump and Musk began meeting in March at the Florida estate of conservative activist investor Nelson Peltz alongside other potential megadonors. Peltz and Musk have been jointly working on a data-driven project to clamp down on voter fraud, and the two billionaires are now said to be spearheading an influence campaign to convince business leaders to drop their support for President Joe Biden’s re-election bid.
While the title and specific details of Musk’s possible role have not been established, the Journal reports that “Trump has told Musk, one of the world’s wealthiest people, he wants to find a way to get him more involved if he wins in November.” However, this is not a guarantee that a formal Trump-Musk partnership will actually materialize.
Musk responded to news of his sit-down with Trump by stating in no uncertain terms that he is “not donating money to either candidate for US President.”
Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 6, 2024
Despite his longstanding criticism of Biden—specifically on the subjects of illegal immigration and the economy—Musk has also taken issue with Trump’s approach to environmentalism.
Though Musk later clarified that Trump had not asked for a contribution or help with his legal bills, he notably did not rule out other forms of involvement in Trump’s campaign.
During the early days of Trump’s first term, Musk served on various White House business advisory groups but resigned in late 2017 in protest of Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords.
