Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, has been leveraging his social media platform, X, to support President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet selections and endorse his own favored candidates. Musk, who sees these individuals as transformative figures capable of reshaping the U.S. government, has faced setbacks as several of his endorsed candidates either lost their bids or withdrew from consideration. This suggests that even as Musk has become one of Trump's most influential allies, his sway has its limits.
Musk, with his 206 million followers on X, posted or reposted over 70 times about Trump's cabinet picks from November 7 to November 20, according to a Reuters review. While these posts were a small fraction of his over 2,000 posts during that period, Musk often used them to highlight Trump's most contentious choices, such as former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for U.S. intelligence chief and environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the top U.S. health agency.
Musk's most fervent support was for Matt Gaetz, whom Trump initially nominated for attorney general. Following Gaetz's November 13 nomination, Musk posted 37 times about Gaetz or his wife Ginger, predominantly in a positive light. This was significantly more than his posts about Trump's other appointments. However, Gaetz withdrew from consideration on November 21, citing his candidacy had become a distraction for Trump amid allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, which he denies.
For the Treasury secretary position, Musk advocated for Wall Street financier Howard Lutnick over hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, whom Musk dismissed as 'a business-as-usual choice.' Despite Musk's efforts, Bessent secured the job. In another Senate leadership battle, Musk's endorsed candidate also failed to win.
One Trump ally noted that these failures highlight the limitations of Musk's influence. 'Musk's 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.' Representatives for X and Musk did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
Musk, who owns X, SpaceX, and Tesla Inc., has invested at least $119 million in Trump's election campaign and has been a frequent guest at Trump's Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, since the election. The two have attended events together, including an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in New York and a SpaceX launch in Texas, and Musk accompanied Trump to Washington for a meeting with President Joe Biden.
On November 20, Musk clarified on X that while he had offered opinions on some candidates, he was not in charge of the selections. 'Many selections occur without my knowledge, and decisions are 100% that of the President,' Musk stated.
Musk's political posts on X far outnumbered those promoting his businesses. He often mocks liberals and discusses government waste and Trump's newly formed government efficiency panel, which Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were tapped to lead. Musk's typical posts are either emojis or brief responses to other posts.
Musk's influence will face further tests, particularly with his support for Trump loyalist Kash Patel to lead the FBI. Patel, who served on Trump's National Security Council, has pledged to target politicians and journalists perceived as enemies of Trump. Musk's posts on X indicate he views Patel as the best candidate for change and reform.
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