Nov 26 (Reuters) – Elon Musk has been leveraging his social media platform X to advocate for President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet selections and to promote his own favored candidates, viewing them as agents of change who could help transform the U.S. government.
Influence and Limitations
Despite Musk’s extensive reach, with over 206 million followers on X, his influence has shown limits. In several notable instances, Musk supported candidates who either lost out on the roles or withdrew from consideration, indicating some constraints on his influence within Trump’s inner circle.
A Reuters review found that Musk posted or reposted about Trump’s cabinet picks over 70 times between November 7 and November 20, though these posts made up only a small fraction of his more than 2,000 posts during that time.
Notable Cases
Musk used his platform to highlight some of Trump’s most controversial choices, including former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for the role of U.S. intelligence chief and environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead a major U.S. health agency.
He was particularly vocal in his support for Matt Gaetz, Trump’s initial pick for attorney general. Following Gaetz’s nomination on November 13, Musk posted about Gaetz or his wife Ginger 37 times, mostly in a positive light, far more than his posts about other Trump appointments. Gaetz later withdrew his candidacy on November 21, citing distractions related to allegations of sexual misconduct and drug abuse, which he has denied.
For the Treasury secretary position, Musk advocated for Wall Street financier Howard Lutnick over hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, whom Musk described as “a business-as-usual choice.” Bessent was appointed despite Musk’s opposition.
In a separate contest for Senate leadership, Musk’s endorsed candidate also fell short.
Trump’s Perspective
One Trump ally noted that these misses highlighted the limitations of Musk’s influence. “His reach on X doesn’t mean he’s an effective advocate for his positions or chosen cabinet members,” the ally said. “He’s still learning how to operate in politics.”
Spokespeople for X and Musk did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Musk, who also owns SpaceX and is CEO of Tesla Inc., has invested at least $119 million in Trump’s election campaign and has been a frequent visitor at Trump’s Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, since his victory.
The two attended an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in New York and a SpaceX launch in Texas, and Musk accompanied Trump to Washington for his meeting with President Joe Biden.
On Saturday, Musk reposted a photo of himself with Trump, Lutnick, and Republican Senator Joni Ernst at Mar-a-Lago, discussing cabinet nominees, according to the caption.
“Elon Musk and President Trump are great friends and brilliant leaders working together to Make America Great Again. Elon Musk is a once-in-a-generation business leader and our federal bureaucracy will certainly benefit from his ideas and efficiency,” said Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team.
Musk’s close relationship with Trump has led to some discomfort and complaints from the transition team, who are unaccustomed to his constant presence, according to sources close to Trump’s staff.
Musk’s Political Activity
Amid increased scrutiny of his role, Musk wrote on X on November 20 that while he had offered his opinions on some candidates, the decisions were ultimately Trump’s. “Many selections occur without my knowledge and decisions are 100% that of the President,” Musk stated.
Efficiency and Emojis
Musk’s political posts on X significantly outnumbered those promoting his businesses, the Reuters review found.
His typical posts consist of either an emoji or a brief response to others’ posts. “Exactly,” he wrote on November 14, in response to a post noting that Trump’s cabinet picks were “young outsiders” who “skipped the line.”
On November 13, he responded with “Awesome” and a smile emoji to a post that said, “They put Tulsi Gabbard on a terror watchlist. Now she’s Director of National Intelligence. The biggest ‘F you’ to the Deep State Swamp.”
