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 sure that taxpayers’ cash was “spent in a great way,” Musk stated throughout their more-than-two-hour speak.
“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 top of a brand new authorities effectivity fee if he was elected president in November.
The fee would audit the “total 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 instructed Musk that he desires 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 obtained billions of {dollars} in federal contracts and subsidies. Musk and a few of his firms are additionally beneath scrutiny for numerous infractions from federal companies together with the Division of Justice, the Federal Commerce Fee, and the Securities and Trade Fee.
“The conflict-of-interest difficulty is without doubt one of the extra apparent considerations 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 ready of energy in a authorities company.”
Musk, 53, has wooed right-wing world leaders earlier than to profit himself and his firms. 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 plentiful deposits of lithium, a mineral utilized in Tesla’s automobile 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 stay up for 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 an announcement, “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 research 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 latest 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 turn out to be extra erratic. On Sunday, Musk endorsed a put up that urged that girls didn’t have the flexibility for vital thought and shouldn’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 considerations 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 instructed a good friend that he wished to maintain his assist 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 buddies, equivalent 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 easy. Musk employed a crew 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. 1000’s of subject organizers have been affected by the swap.
Musk has since employed a prime Republican political operative, Chris Younger, to personally advise him on find out how 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 communicate up about his assist for the Republican candidate.
“I absolutely endorse President Trump and hope for his fast 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 workers who wished to strike. In a podcast look a number of weeks later, Trump known as Musk a “sensible man” who might be a advisor to his administration “concerned in slicing a few of the fats.”
On Thursday, Trump offered few particulars of what an effectivity fee would do, however he stated “fraud and improper funds” had price taxpayers “a whole lot of billions of {dollars}.” He didn’t say if Musk deliberate to divest from or take day without work from his firms for the position, ought to it come to go.
“As the primary order of enterprise, this fee will develop an motion plan to completely get rid of 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 top of a brand new authorities effectivity fee if he was elected president in November.
The fee would audit the “total 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 instructed Musk that he desires 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 obtained billions of {dollars} in federal contracts and subsidies. Musk and a few of his firms are additionally beneath scrutiny for numerous infractions from federal companies together with the Division of Justice, the Federal Commerce Fee, and the Securities and Trade Fee.
“The conflict-of-interest difficulty is without doubt one of the extra apparent considerations 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 ready of energy in a authorities company.”
Musk, 53, has wooed right-wing world leaders earlier than to profit himself and his firms. 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 plentiful deposits of lithium, a mineral utilized in Tesla’s automobile 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 stay up for 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 an announcement, “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 research 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 latest 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 turn out to be extra erratic. On Sunday, Musk endorsed a put up that urged that girls didn’t have the flexibility for vital thought and shouldn’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 considerations 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 instructed a good friend that he wished to maintain his assist 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 buddies, equivalent 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 easy. Musk employed a crew 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. 1000’s of subject organizers have been affected by the swap.
Musk has since employed a prime Republican political operative, Chris Younger, to personally advise him on find out how 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 communicate up about his assist for the Republican candidate.
“I absolutely endorse President Trump and hope for his fast 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 workers who wished to strike. In a podcast look a number of weeks later, Trump known as Musk a “sensible man” who might be a advisor to his administration “concerned in slicing a few of the fats.”
On Thursday, Trump offered few particulars of what an effectivity fee would do, however he stated “fraud and improper funds” had price taxpayers “a whole lot of billions of {dollars}.” He didn’t say if Musk deliberate to divest from or take day without work from his firms for the position, ought to it come to go.
“As the primary order of enterprise, this fee will develop an motion plan to completely get rid of fraud and improper funds inside six months, saving trillions of {dollars},” Trump stated, with out offering any proof.
