Donald Trump Considers Elon Musk for Cabinet Role in Potential Second Term

Donald Trump Considers Elon Musk for Cabinet Role in Potential Second Term

Former U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview that if he emerges victorious in the November election, he would consider appointing Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to his Cabinet. He described Musk as “a very smart guy” and said, “He’s brilliant,” so he would definitely do it if Musk agreed to serve.

Within minutes, Musk responded on social media, volunteered for government service. The billionaire tech entrepreneur and owner of the social media site X has long been an ally to Trump and financial backer of a super PAC that supports his campaign. That alliance appears to deepen as Musk signals remaining interested in joining a government commission on national debt and rewriting Congressional spending.

In the interview, Trump also talked about probably repealing the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases, a policy that the Biden administration has been boasting is part of its climate agenda. This may affect companies such as Tesla, which have ridden on the tax credit. While Trump appreciated Musk’s endorsement, he said he preferred a more balanced approach to the automotive market that includes gasoline, hybrids, and electrical automobiles. Further, he expressed that his uneasiness at the cost and the limited range of batteries as concerns making EVs market smaller than people were thinking.

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Besides discussing potential Cabinet appointments and EV policies, he outlined plans to slap tariffs on vehicles being built by the Detroit Three and others in Mexico for consumers in the United States. He called out Mexico for “stealing our car industry” and vowed to take action with tariffs that would prompt companies to build vehicles in the United States. Trump also would consider permitting plants in the U.S. by Chinese and other foreign automakers, as long as they hire American workers.

It signals that he is dead serious about reinventing American manufacturing and making sure the U.S. stays competitive in the global auto sector—these are bold policy proposals with possibly even Elon Musk sitting in Trump’s Cabinet.