Sunday Painting

“Tranquil”

Day 7 — December 7, 2024

The world’s richest man, Elon Musk continues to be the dominant and most visible figure of the incoming Trump administration—more high-profile than Trump himself.

New filings revealed that Musk spent over $270 million to help secure Trump’s victory. That figure doesn't include his purchase and harnessing of Twitter (now called X) into a pro-Trump echo chamber while systematically suppressing opposition voices. He is still using X to this effect, including attacking retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman of “treason,” who “will pay.”

Musk is seen at Mar-a-Lago (Trump’s estate in Florida) regularly, including over Thanksgiving.

He is playing a major role in pushing for Cabinet nominations, including Kash Patel as FBI director. A close collaborator in Musk’s SpaceX business has been tapped to run NASA. And Musk is threatening to oppose (in future primaries) any Republican Senators who do not go along with Trump nominations.

And even though a private citizen, Musk is already playing official and what look to be diplomatic duties.

On the domestic front, as part of his role as co-leader of a newly announced but ill-defined “Department of Government Efficiency,” he traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with senior politicians to discuss proposed reductions in federal government spending—up to $2 trillion. Musk is playing this role at the same time that he is a major contractor for the United States government.

On the international front, he has joined Trump on phone calls with at least one foreign leader (Ukraine’s Zelesnky), taken a call from Israel’s president regarding hostage and Gaza negotiations, and appeared at the re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral along with major foreign dignitaries and guests.

This intense involvement comes only months after it was revealed that Musk has also been in regular communication with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in recent years.

All of this takes place as Trump’s actual Vice President-elect, JD Vance, has been hardly visible at all.