Musk May Serve as Policy Advisor if Trump Wins Re-election... Close Ties Ahead of Presidential Election

WSJ "Discussion on Policy Advisors for Border Security and Economy"

Former President Donald Trump, who is running in the upcoming U.S. presidential election this November, is considering appointing Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, as a policy advisor if he re-enters the White House. Musk is accelerating his close ties with former President Trump by forming an 'anti-Biden coalition' with business leaders to oppose the Democratic candidate, President Joe Biden.

On the 29th (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing sources, reported that former President Trump is discussing with Musk ways for him to make official policy proposals and exert influence on border security and economic policies if Trump wins re-election.

Sources explained that the advisory role Musk might take on would be at a level similar to that held by Isaac Perlmutter, former Marvel chairman, during Trump's first term in office.

Musk reportedly briefed former President Trump on plans to develop a data-driven project aimed at preventing voter fraud and tampering in the November election. Nelson Peltz, a Wall Street activist investor and billionaire, also participated in the briefing.

It is reported that the discussions between former President Trump and Musk about the advisory role and the anti-fraud election project took place during a meeting in March at Trump's Palm Beach residence in Florida. Since then, the two have built consensus through discussions on immigration, technology, and American space technology, including science. The newspaper reported that Musk directly called Trump on his phone and exchanged views, confirming their alignment of opinions and interests.

Additionally, Musk has recently been accelerating efforts to form an anti-Biden coalition with business figures to oppose President Biden's re-election. Last month, he reportedly held a dinner meeting in Los Angeles (LA) with billionaires including his close associate, venture capitalist Peter Thiel, to discuss ways to block Biden's re-election. Musk also recently harshly criticized President Biden on his social networking service (SNS) platform X (formerly Twitter), which he owns, saying, "Biden definitely barely knows what is going on right now," and "He is just a tragic figurehead for the 'far-left political machine.'" Instead of donating election funds to former President Trump, Musk is supporting Trump by leveraging his influence in the business and technology sectors to oppose President Biden's re-election. However, Musk has not yet made an official endorsement of former President Trump.

Until now, the relationship between former President Trump and Musk had been poor. Musk criticized the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017 and exchanged harsh words with Trump on social media ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. However, as the presidential election approaches, it is reported that they have been building consensus and restoring their relationship.

Earlier, Musk declared his withdrawal of support for the Democratic Party in 2022. He stated that he would no longer support the Democratic Party, which he described as a party of division and hatred, and that he would vote Republican. The newspaper reported that Musk is outraged by the progressive camp's promotion of liberal policies such as diversity, equality, and inclusion, which they call the "woke mental virus."