Donald Trump has found a new friend in Elon Musk. Their friendship has struck up a surprising camaraderie and intertwined the worlds of politics and tech innovation.
Discover our latest podcast
Their relationship gained significant traction during Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign when Musk publicly endorsed him and used his platform to amplify Trump’s agenda. He even attended one of Trump’s rallies and declared himself as ‘dark MAGA.’
The eccentric billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX—who made worrying predictions about the future—is now understood to be acting as the ‘co-president’ under Trump’s leadership. This comes as Trump credited him with winning over the ‘bro votes’ and dubbed him as his ‘First Buddy.’
Despite this close bond, it has been reported that Trump’s inner circle is growing uneasy by Musk’s growing presence at Mar-a-Lago.
Elon Musk, Trump's shadow
According to Page Six, Musk and Trump’s new cosy relationship has irked members of Trump’s circle. Indeed, Musk is a new and constant presence at Mar-a-Lago, and was said to have participated in discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Volodymyr Zelensky. What’s more? He weighed in on the decisions of potential candidates for administrative positions.
Even Trump himself has joked about Musk being his shadow, reports The Independent. Only last week he shared:
He likes this place. I can’t get him out of here. He just likes this place. And you know what? I like having him here, too.
While addressing House Republicans at a Beltway hotel, he added:
Elon won’t go home. I can’t get rid of him — at least until I don’t like him.
Not just official decisions, Musk was a part of a family photo taken on election night. Don Trump Jr.’s and Vanessa Trump’s daughter, Kai posted him on X and wrote ‘Elon achieving uncle status.’
While other members of Trump’s inner circle may not be fans of Musk, Melania seems to enjoy his presence. A source revealed she has ‘been around more’ and added:
Melania likes Elon.
Elon Musk v/s Trump’s inner circle - what’s really going on?
Musk's omnipresence has made Trump’s close advisors feel ‘iced out,' according to reports. An insider told Page Six that ‘the advisors he used to eat with are nowhere to be seen.’ They added:
He’s always with Elon. It’s 24/7. Trump’s inner circle is getting smaller. He has dumped some others.
Another source shared that Trump loves to ‘pit people against each other’ and everyone in his inner circle is jealous of Musk.
The X owner also reportedly had a ‘massive blowup’ with Trump's advisor, Boris Epshteyn, after he accused him of leaking essential information to the press, reports Vanity Fair.
Musk claimed that Epshteyn leaked Trump’s cabinet and personnel picks to the media while he denied talking to the media about it. This is not the first time Musk has questioned Epshteyn or his decisions. He previously questioned ‘the qualifications of Epshteyn’s favoured candidates.’
Read more:
Donald Trump was not always a member of the Republican Party, he was once a registered Democrat
Donald Trump reveals his pick for defense secretary: Who is Pete Hegseth?
Sources used:
Page Six: Donald Trump’s close relationship with Elon Musk leaves inner circle feeling ‘iced out’ — but Melania is a fan: sources
The Independent: Elon Musk’s bromance with Donald Trump isn’t going down that well in MAGAworld anymore
Vanity Fair: Elon Musk May Be Wearing Out His Welcome in Trumpworld
