Elon Musk’s Ambitious Request to Donald Trump Ahead of Presidential Transition
Even prior to Donald J. Trump’s re-election, his most prominent supporter, Elon Musk, reached out with a specific request concerning the presidential transition. Musk expressed his desire for Trump to consider hiring several employees from his rocket company, SpaceX, for key positions within the government. This included potential roles at the Department of Defense, as revealed by two individuals familiar with the discussions.
This particular request highlights Musk’s intention to embed SpaceX personnel into an agency that represents one of their largest clients. It underscores the significant advantages Musk could gain following his substantial investment of over $100 million into Trump’s campaign. Additionally, Musk has consistently promoted pro-Trump content on his social media platform, X, and actively participated in public appearances to support the candidate throughout the competitive state of Pennsylvania.
The outreach regarding the inclusion of SpaceX employees in a potential Trump administration has not been previously reported, illustrating Musk’s eagerness to populate the administration with his close associates. However, this ambition raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest given that Musk’s companies, which include SpaceX and Tesla, hold billions of dollars in government contracts.
As of Wednesday, neither Musk nor executives from SpaceX and Tesla responded to requests for comment. Similarly, a spokesperson for Trump’s transition team has yet to provide any feedback regarding the matter.
The six companies that Musk oversees are intricately linked with various federal agencies, generating substantial revenue through contracts that involve launching rockets, constructing satellites, and offering space-based communication services.
