Newsroom
It was only a matter of time that Trump's real self would come out, even with his key allies, including Elon Musk. Donald Trump, right from his first meeting with Republican lawmakers after being elected president, made a joke about Musk, showing how he sees his power over the tech billionaire. Trump said, "Elon won’t go home. I can’t get rid of him. Until I don’t like him," suggesting that Musk is at his Mar-a-Lago estate so often because Trump allows it—until he decides otherwise.
In fact, Musk has spent nearly every day with Trump, golfing, dining, and even being present during phone calls with world leaders. This close relationship has raised eyebrows, with some suggesting Trump sees Musk as just another person to dominate.
TV commentator Lawrence O’Donnell believes Trump’s comments were all about asserting dominance, making Musk look weak by implying he's just trying to stay in Trump’s good graces. Musk’s role in Trump’s government, where he co-leads an agency called the "Department of Government Efficiency" (or DOGE), is also being mocked. O'Donnell suggests it’s a meaningless job, essentially a "fake job" with little real influence.
But some experts, like tech journalist Kara Swisher, think the relationship between these two narcissistic figures won’t last. Swisher points out that both men crave attention, and only one can be the center of it all—just like how Trump eventually turned on his former ally Steve Bannon. Trump has a history of discarding people once they’ve outlived their usefulness. Even if Musk is currently in the spotlight, it’s likely that he’ll eventually fall out of favor with Trump, just like others before him.
