Former US president Donald Trump has suggested he could offer Elon Musk a role in his future cabinet should he retake the White House in November.
That came after the X owner became embroiled in a bust-up with the European Commission’s self-styled “digital enforcer,” Thierry Breton, with the latter insisting that Musk’s social media platform be subject to European Union censorship.
Speaking to Reuters on August 20, Trump confirmed he would like to have Musk in his future cabinet should he win the elections and if the tech billionaire agreed to join.
I am willing to serve pic.twitter.com/BJhGbcA2e0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2024
“He’s a very smart guy,” Trump stated.
“I certainly would [have him in my cabinet], if he would do it, I certainly would. He’s a brilliant guy.”
Following Trump’s remarks, Musk posted an AI-generated image to his social media depicting him as the head of the US “Department of Government Efficiency”, the acronym of which — DOGE — referencing an internet meme.
“I am willing to serve,” Musk wrote.
The European Union will ban Elon Musk’s X if it fails to censor the platform, one of the bloc’s top Liberal MEPs has claimed. https://t.co/fqUiqInuIP
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 19, 2024
While it was unclear whether there was any real possibility of Musk entering a future Trump cabinet, it does appear that the tech mogul is growing closer to the political network of the former president.
Such ties have only strengthened following Breton’s attack on both Musk and Trump on August 13. The Eurocrat’s demand for both men to be censored according to European Union regulations sparked outrage on the US Right, with many Republican-aligned pundits rallying behind the X-owner for what they saw as his pro-free speech stance.
Speaking to Brussels Signal on August 20, Connor Allen, the Manager of Government & External Relations for a major Japanese manufacturing firm, said Musk’s ever-closer ties with Trump could spell trouble for the EU.
While he regarded the possibility of the US billionaire joining a future Trump cabinet as being relatively unlikely, he argued that the fact that it was being floated as a possibility showed that the EU’s policy of ever increasing regulation will soon face international resistance.
“I think it’s clear to everyone that Elon joining a Trump cabinet is a long shot but it does highlight how CEOs of tech companies in particular are reacting to European regulatory overreach,” he said.
“Faced with a declining economy that’s being massively outpaced by the US, and the complete absence of a digital sector, Europe is clutching at increasingly poor regulation as its last lifeline. We are going to see more and more petty spats such as Breton and X.”
Allen argued that it was “only a matter of time” before someone like Musk became involved in US politics, with any such entry likely to be well-received by voters increasingly annoyed by what many regard as spiralling government bureaucracy.
“If you’re at the head of a prosperous, innovative digital giant, the largest risk to your business is poor politics and poor regulation shooting a continent in the foot – with Europe the pioneer in this,” he said.
“Citizens are increasingly frustrated with economic mismanagement and it’s no wonder that well-known businessmen are being considered as the answer.”
Brussels has denied it had any involvement in a threatening open letter sent by Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton to X-owner Elon Musk. https://t.co/Z6aFSIPqDc
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 14, 2024
