summary:Elon Musk’s Role in White House: Trump Reveals in Joint Interview
Meta Description: In a joint Fox News interview, Trump and Elon Musk discuss Musk’s advisory role, government efficiency initiatives, and a trillion-dollar cost-cutting plan. Musk clarifies his position as a tech advisor, not a policymaker.
Trump and Musk Address White House Influence in Joint Interview
Washington DC: In their first joint interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity, US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk discussed Musk’s role as an advisor, his influence in the administration, and broader government reforms.
Trump emphasized that Musk would not be involved in decisions impacting his own companies, a point Musk seconded, reiterating that his primary role is to provide technological support to the president.
Musk’s Power in the Trump Administration
Musk clarified that he has never asked the president for favors, addressing concerns about his influence. Despite SpaceX’s lucrative government contracts, Musk stated he would recuse himself from decisions affecting his companies.
Trump confirmed Musk’s limited role, stating that while he values Musk’s input, he will not allow any conflicts of interest. Musk argued that concerns about his advisory role should instead be directed at the unelected federal workforce, which he claims obstructs presidential initiatives.
“If the bureaucracy is fighting the will of the people and preventing the president from implementing what the people want, then what we live in is a bureaucracy, not a democracy,” Musk said, wearing a t-shirt that read “tech support.”
The “DOGE” Initiative: Cutting a Trillion Dollars in Government Waste
Trump praised Musk’s efficiency, saying, “He gets the executive order done. There used to be signed executive orders, but no work got done. He and his genius team make sure they are executed.”
Musk introduced his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), aimed at cutting $1 trillion from the national deficit.
“I think he’s going to find a trillion dollars,” Trump affirmed, adding that the cuts would come from eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse in government spending.
He reassured voters that social security, Medicare, and Medicaid would not be affected by the cuts, instead emphasizing the need to abolish the Department of Education to return school control to the states.
“Social Security won’t be touched, other than fraud,” Trump said. “Medicare, Medicaid—none of that stuff is going to be … it’s not going to be touchable.”
On X Lawsuit
Addressing the recent $10 million settlement between the social media platform X and the Trump campaign, both Musk and Trump dismissed the topic as unimportant.
“I left it up to the lawyers,” Musk said.
“I think it’s very low … I was looking to get much more money than that, so you gave him a discount,” Trump added.
Musk Praises Trump’s Bravery After Assassination Attempt
Hannity brought up an assassination attempt on Trump’s life, which coincided with Musk’s endorsement of his re-election bid. Musk praised Trump’s courage during the incident, saying, “This is how you know someone’s true character. The president was actually shot. Courage under fire—‘fight, fight, fight,’ blood streaming down the face. That’s true courage. You can’t fake that.”