Is the ‘Bromance’ Between Donald Trump and Elon Musk Here to Stay?
The world’s wealthiest individual, Elon Musk, has frequently been seen alongside President-elect Donald Trump since the US election earlier this month.
“I can’t seem to shake him off,” Donald Trump humorously remarked about Musk at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last Thursday.
“I enjoy having him around. He’s done an amazing job, an extraordinary intellect.”
However, can the close relationship between the world’s richest man and the imminent US president endure significant policy disagreements and their inherently fiery personalities?
Here’s a look at six potential sources of tension:
Who holds the reins?
Musk is renowned for his intense work ethic and self-labeled “hardcore” approach, governing his enterprises with an iron fist where his decisions seldom face opposition.
Whether in production facilities or executive meetings, he tends to assert his will with a confrontational demeanor, often terminating employees on the spot and occasionally questioning their intelligence publicly.
Trump, also a business mogul who enjoys dismissing and humiliating individuals publicly, insists on complete loyalty and has previously shown reluctance to share the spotlight.
He has a history of pitting his advisors and cabinet members against one another, according to former aides.
Recently, Musk reportedly had his first public spat with Trump transition official Boris Epshteyn, according to Axios.
Moreover, he publicly endorsed brokerage billionaire Howard Lutnick for US Treasury secretary on Saturday, creating an early challenge to his influence.
Climate change
Musk’s investment in Tesla in 2004 was partly driven by a concern for global warming.
In 2017, he left Trump’s business advisory councils to protest the then-president’s choice to withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement.
“Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is detrimental to America and the globe,” Musk expressed on Twitter at that time.
Donald Trump, who has labeled climate change a “hoax,” is anticipated to again disregard US commitments after President Joe Biden re-entered the Paris Accord in 2020.
Recently, Musk expressed a more lenient view, stating to Trump during a live discussion on X in August, “If in 50-100 years we’re largely sustainable, I think that would be acceptable.”
The UN’s IPCC, the leading authority on climate science, indicates that average global temperatures are projected to rise 1.5C above pre-industrial levels in the early 2030s, a critical threshold with serious implications for ecosystems.
Energy transition
Musk has heavily invested in the energy transition, amassing wealth through Tesla electric vehicles, as well as pioneering domestic battery technology and solar roof tiles.
Trump campaigned on a promise to “drill, baby, drill” and is expected to sanction new fossil fuel projects and permits, potentially allowing oil and gas companies access to protected federal lands.
Musk has been critical of the “mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy” that Trump openly supports.
The president-elect has selected a fracking executive as his energy secretary. Chris Wright publicly denied the reality of climate change and the necessity for an energy transition last year.
China
Trump’s confrontational approach toward China and the potential for a trade war between the world’s foremost economies may pose additional complications in the relationship between the tycoons.
China represents a significant market for Tesla, where the company operates one of its “Gigafactories” and aims to compete with the rapidly growing local manufacturers.
Musk consistently refrains from criticizing the ruling Communist Party, positioning himself against the China hawks like US Senator Marco Rubio, who are lined up to join Trump’s administration.
‘DOGE’ on a leash
A stringent cost-cutter within his own enterprises, Musk has been appointed by Trump to lead the “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” aimed at slashing government expenses.
However, proposals to significantly reduce programs are likely to encounter considerable political resistance, even from Republican ranks.
As mid-term elections approach, Trump’s political priorities may diverge from Musk’s, whether it involves protecting Medicaid funds for low-income individuals or allocating defense contracts to supporters.
Big Tech
Musk’s intricate relationships and rivalries with major tech firms in Silicon Valley extend back several years, and he is expected to confront numerous conflicts of interest within the administration.
Will Musk, who leads his own AI venture, remain silent if Donald Trump endorses OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed company that Musk played a vital role in founding a decade ago?
If Amazon founder Jeff Bezos gains Trump’s attention, will Musk accept that a competitor to SpaceX becomes closer to the White House’s inner circle?
Will they remain friends by the end of Donald Trump’s four-year term?
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By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse