Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), has been making news with his close friendship with President-elect Donald Trump. At first, it might sound exciting—two famous, powerful men joining forces. But many experts don’t think this “bromance” will last. Both Musk and Trump love to be in the spotlight, and neither likes to share power. As journalist Kara Swisher put it, Trump’s team already sees Musk as the “guest who wouldn’t leave” because of his eagerness to push his own ideas and style onto Trump’s plans.
Even though Musk spent a lot of money to help Trump get elected, this alliance may not survive for long. Trump is known for dropping even his closest allies as soon as they stop being useful to him. Swisher described Trump’s approach by saying, “Trump goes through people like tissues.” Experts think Musk might end up the same way, especially if he tries to be too influential in the White House. Musk has even recommended setting up a “government efficiency commission” and wants to lead it himself. But there’s no guarantee Trump will allow Musk to take such a high-profile role once he’s in office.
One major issue with their friendship is that both men love to be the “star” in the room. Swisher pointed out that both Trump and Musk have huge egos. She said, “There can be only one narcissist as head of the country, and that’s Donald Trump.” This means that if Musk tries to take the spotlight or push his own agenda too much, Trump may quickly get tired of him.
There’s also a big difference between running a business and running a government, which could cause problems. Musk is used to taking big risks, like launching rockets and making bold changes at X without much warning. But this style may not work well in Washington, D.C. Swisher noted, “I’m not so sure that you can blow up things in the federal government quite as easily without some impact.” The U.S. government has rules and processes, and it’s unlikely they’ll let Musk do things his way without oversight. Unlike Silicon Valley, where Musk is known for moving fast, the government is cautious and doesn’t respond well to drastic changes.
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Another issue is Musk’s deep connections to his own businesses. Tesla and SpaceX already have many government contracts. Now that Musk has helped Trump win, experts are worried that Musk might gain even more influence over policies that could benefit his companies. Historian David Nasaw warned that under Trump, “nobody will pester [Musk] about where he deploys his Starlink internet satellites” or investigate issues with Tesla’s self-driving cars. This could create an unfair advantage for Musk’s companies and reduce accountability.
Trump’s history also suggests Musk might not stay close for long. Nasaw points out that rich supporters in the past, like Andrew Carnegie and Joseph Kennedy, tried to influence presidents but were eventually pushed away. Musk may find himself in the same position, cast aside once Trump no longer needs him.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
