Billionaire Elon Musk has been the usage of his social media platform X to switch to bat for President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks and promote his have preferred candidates, advocating for picks he views as change agents who will attend remake the US govt.
In lots of high-profile conditions, nonetheless, Musk backed of us that both lost out on the roles or withdrew from consideration, suggesting some early limits to the Republican mega donor’s have an effect on whilst he has emerged as one of Trump’s strongest allies.
Musk, who has 206 million followers on X, posted or reposted about Trump’s cabinet picks bigger than 70 times between Nov. 7 and Nov. 20, a Reuters overview chanced on.
Though the posts represented factual part of his bigger than 2,000 posts at some point soon of that period, Musk in many conditions venerable them to take care of Trump’s most controversial picks, including ragged Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for US intelligence chief and environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr to lead the head US effectively being company.
Musk most enthusiastically rallied enhance for Matt Gaetz, the ragged congressman Trump first and foremost tapped to be his attorney total.
In the times following Gaetz’s Nov. 13 nomination, Musk posted 37 times about Gaetz or his important other Ginger, largely in obvious phrases. That used to be a long way bigger than his posts about Trump’s varied appointments.
Gaetz backed out of consideration on Nov. 21, saying his candidacy had change into a distraction for Trump amid allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug abuse. He has denied wrongdoing.
For Trump’s Treasury secretary, Musk pushed for Wall Boulevard financier Howard Lutnick over hedge fund supervisor Scott Bessent, whom Musk disregarded as “a commercial-as-frequent replacement.” Bessent got the job anyway.
And in a separate fight over Senate management, Musk’s endorsed candidate also came up quick.
One Trump ally said those misses showed the obstacles of Musk’s sway.
Musk’s reach on X “would now not point out he’s an efficient point out for his positions or chosen cabinet people,” the Trump ally said. “He’s aloof learning how to operate in politics.”
Spokespeople for X and Musk failed to reply to Reuters requests for train for this myth.
Musk, who owns X and rocket firm SpaceX and is chief executive of the electrical automobile firm Tesla Inc. poured at the least $119 million into getting Trump elected and has been a contrivance-fixed fixture at Trump’s Florida area, Mar-a-Lago, since his election victory earlier this month.
The 2 males attended an Final Combating Championship tournament in Novel York and a SpaceX delivery in Texas, and Musk traveled with Trump to Washington for his assembly with President Joe Biden.
On Saturday, Musk reposted a photo that showed him sitting with Trump, Lutnick and Republican Senator Joni Ernst at Mar-a-Lago, the put they were discussing cabinet nominees, in retaining with the caption.
“Elon Musk and President Trump are titanic mates and colorful leaders working collectively to Possess The USA Spacious Once more. Elon Musk is a as soon as in a abilities commercial leader and our federal bureaucracy will absolutely succor from his suggestions and effectivity,” said Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team.
Musk’s conclude proximity to Trump has brought on some hand-wringing and complaints from the transition team, who were now not acquainted with him being spherical loads, in retaining with two sources conclude to Trump group of workers.
Amid elevated scrutiny of his weird and wonderful role, Musk wrote in a put up on X on Nov. 20 that whereas he had supplied his diagram on some candidates, he used to be now not in fee.
“Many selections happen with out my data and choices are 100% that of the President,” Musk said.
EFFICIENCY AND EMOJIS
Musk’s political posts on X a long way outnumbered those he venerable to promote his three companies, the Reuters overview chanced on.
He recurrently mocks liberals and posts about govt extinguish and Trump’s newly created govt effectivity panel, which the president-elect tapped Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead.
Musk’s long-established posts consist both of an emoji or a quick response to varied posts.
“Exactly,” he wrote on Nov. 14, in retaining with a put up noting that Trump’s cabinet picks were “younger outsiders” who “skipped the line.”
He answered with “Superior” and a smile emoji on Nov. 13 to a put up that said: “They put Tulsi Gabbard on a terror watchlist. Now she’s Director of National Intelligence. The ideal ‘F you’ to the Deep Yelp Swamp.”
On Nov. 16, as questions swirled about who Trump would opt for his Treasury secretary, Musk wrote on X that Bessent used to be “a commercial-as-frequent replacement,” whereas Lutnick would “the truth is pause change.”
Musk also lobbied against Bessent internally, two sources conclude to Trump said.
His efforts fell flat. On Nov. 22, Trump tapped Bessent for the job.
Earlier within the month, Musk threw his enhance unhurried Republican Senator Rick Scott for Senate majority leader. Trump selected now not to weigh in, and Scott finally lost to Senator John Thune for the dwelling.
One source conclude to Musk used to be struck by Musk’s willingness to follow Trump even after he’s been “shut down as soon as or twice” by the president-elect.
“That is highly rare for a billionaire,” the source said. “In total after they devise now not gain what they need, they stroll away.”
The source said Musk used to be dedicated to Trump’s govt effectivity efforts.
“He’s in actuality involving on the function,” the source said.
One other test of Musk’s have an effect on lies forward. Since the election, he has posted six times in enhance of Trump loyalist Kash Patel working the FBI.
Patel, who served on Trump’s National Security Council at some point soon of his first timeframe, has promised to switch after politicians and journalists perceived to be enemies of Trump. Musk’s X posts gain particular that he sees Patel as the most efficient option for change and reform.
On Nov. 14, Musk posted a “100%” emoji in retaining with a clip of Patel saying that he would shut down the FBI’s headquarters on day one of Trump’s unique administration and reopen it as a “Deep Yelp Museum,” with the caption “Possess him FBI director.”
