WASHINGTON, May 29 (Reuters) – Former President Donald Trump is considering appointing billionaire Elon Musk as a policy adviser if he wins the upcoming presidential election in November. This information comes from the Wall Street Journal, which cites sources familiar with the discussions.
Trump and Musk have reportedly talked about ways for Musk, who heads the social media platform X, as well as SpaceX and Tesla, to have “formal input and influence” over economic and border security policies.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Musk has informed Trump about his efforts to persuade influential U.S. business leaders not to support Democratic President Joe Biden. Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election and is seeking a second term.
These discussions, which included billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, also touched on funding a “data-driven project to prevent voter fraud,” though no further details were provided.
Representatives for Trump and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Biden campaign also did not immediately respond.
Trump campaign spokesperson Brian Hughes stated that only Trump will decide “what role an individual plays in his presidency.” The WSJ noted that Musk did not respond to its requests for comment.
In March, after meeting with Trump in Florida, Musk, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, said he would not donate money to Trump or Biden. Instead, he aims “to use his influence to help defeat Biden by rallying the support of influential allies,” according to a person familiar with his thinking, as cited by the WSJ.
Musk has increasingly aligned himself with the Republican Party in recent years. He has claimed, without evidence, that Biden is intentionally allowing migrants to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Musk has also endorsed antisemitic comments on X, though he denies being antisemitic.
Despite his public criticism of Biden’s policies on immigration, electric vehicles, and tariffs, Musk has not made any formal endorsement in the November election. Trump has stated he does not know if he has Musk’s support.
Musk’s views have negatively affected his standing among some consumers, according to a CivicScience survey shown exclusively to Reuters.
Trump, a prolific user of Twitter, now known as X, before being banned from the platform following the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, launched his rival social media platform, Truth Social, owned by Trump Media and Technology Group Corp.
