Mr. Musk might be going to Washington.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump have reportedly discussed the possibility of Musk acting as an advisor to Trump, should the presumptive Republican nominee win back the White House this November. It’s a significant reversal from the state of the pair’s relationship just two years ago, when they publicly traded insults on social media.
The Wall Street Journal reports that talks between the two are still preliminary and the role might not ultimately materialize, but if it did, Musk would have Trump’s ear on issues including border security and the economy.
Musk has also reportedly briefed Trump on a plan he has developed with activist investor Nelson Peltz, who most recently led a failed proxy vote at Disney, which focuses on preventing voter fraud.
Trump and Musk had a frosty relationship for years. Musk resigned from two White House advisory councils in 2017 over Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. Out of the Paris climate agreement.
They have mended bridges in the past few months, though, the WSJ reports, and are said to talk regularly on the phone as the election nears, about everything from immigration to the U.S. Space Force.
Trump met with Musk in March as he looked to raise funds for his campaign, but the CEO of Tesla has indicated he’s less interested in writing a check than he is in using his influence to steer people away from Biden.
Musk in the past has supported both Republicans and Democrats, but announced in 2022 that he planned to vote Republican in the next election as his frustration with the Biden administration grew. He has likened Biden’s border policies to “treason,” accusing the administration of “ushering in vast numbers of illegals” with the goal of having them illegally vote for Democrats. (There is no evidence to support this.)
He has also accused Biden of being “biased” against Tesla after the company was excluded from a 2021 electric-vehicle event at the White House.