Last month, reports emerged that former U.S. President Donald Trump was considering a “cabinet” position for Elon Musk. Now, a new report from the Washington Post suggests that Trump is contemplating a proposal to involve high-profile business leaders, including Musk, in conducting an audit of federal agencies.
The Tesla CEO has shown interest in the idea, as evidenced by his reposting of an X post about the Trump-Musk news. In the caption, Musk wrote, “I can’t wait. There is a lot of waste and needless regulation in government that needs to go.”
According to Reuters, Trump has expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of Musk joining his administration. When asked about it, Trump praised Musk, saying, “He’s a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would. He’s a brilliant guy.” This consideration follows a recent two-hour live interview between the two, hosted on Musk’s social media platform.
During their conversation, Musk suggested the creation of a government efficiency commission focused on optimizing government spending and reducing waste. “I’d be happy to help out on such a commission,” Musk proposed. Trump responded favorably, recognizing Musk’s expertise in streamlining operations and reducing costs. “You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump said, referring to Musk’s drastic reduction of X’s workforce by 90%.
Despite the apparent rapport between Trump and Musk, potential conflicts could arise, particularly regarding Trump’s stance on electric vehicle (EV) policies, which may affect Tesla. However, Tesla has already benefited from significant federal support.
According to Atlas Public Policy, the company secured $36 million in federal funding to support the installation of at least 328 EV charging stations, a move aimed at expanding the nation’s EV charging infrastructure and promoting sustainable transportation.
In addition, Musk’s SpaceX received a lucrative contract from NASA in 2021 worth up to $4.4 billion to develop a human landing system for the Artemis program, a NASA initiative aimed at returning humans to the lunar surface. So far, SpaceX has received $2.2 billion in taxpayer funding under this agreement, according to the Washington Post.