--- title: "Is Elon Musk Now Secretly Controlling Donald Trump?" description: "Elon Musk's control over Donald Trump seems akin to, well, the president-elect's control own takeover of the GOP." date: "2024-12-02" modified: "2024-12-02" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-controlling-trump" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "donald trump" - "elon musk" - "politics" - "the digest" --- # Is Elon Musk Now Secretly Controlling Donald Trump? ![Elon Musk's control over Donald Trump seems akin to, well, the president-elect's control own takeover of the GOP.]() *\Image: Anna Moneymaker via Getty / Futurism\* ## Succession Theme As one politico points out, [Elon Musk's hold on Donald Trump]() seems akin to the president-elect's control own [takeover of the GOP](). In an [interview with *Newsweek*](), Democratic strategist Chai Komanduri suggested that the Muskian agenda is now the Republican party line — and that may help the billionaire's bottom line, too. "The Republican Party is led by an elderly man who is increasingly deluded, distracted and extremely greedy," said the longtime strategist and [*MSNBC* contributor](). "\[Musk\] saw an opportunity here, also, with the fact that there is no clear MAGA successor." "He said, 'The Republican Party is here for the taking,'" Komanduri told the magazine of Musk's potential frame of mind. "'I just have to deal with Trump, and then it will be mine.'" By joining forces with Trump, the multi-hyphenate business owner seems to have made a "very clear investment opportunity," Komanduri said. Indeed, as [*Business Insider* noted]() in another recent analysis, Musk's seemingly outrageous over-spending on purchasing Twitter back in 2022 may be paying off in spades now that he wields such [political influence]() — and it all raises the question: is Trump the boss of Musk, or vice versa? ## Kiss the Ring A looming question since the election has been how long the Musk-Trump bromance will last, especially since Trump's last administration [quickly became a revolving door]() of spurned former loyalists. While there have been [reports of tensions]() between the Tesla and SpaceX owner and members of Trump's posse, the South African-born mogul's appearance at the president-elect's Thanksgiving dinner — not to mention the pair's [bizarro joint dance]() to The Village People's "YMCA" — suggests he's in the inner sanctum, at least for now. In an [interview with *CNN*]() last week, *New York Times* senior political reporter Maggie Haberman opined that if Trump has grown weary of the brash billionaire whose dollars boosted him into office, he hasn't been "making that especially public." Given that it's rare for people in the president-elect's orbit to be richer than him, Musk's money may be part of the draw he holds for Trump, the [longtime White House watcher]() said. "Musk is also, and depends on the day, the richest or one of the richest men in the world, and Trump has a huge fascination with wealth," she said. "As you noted, Trump equates wealth with intelligence, and so I actually think this relationship could last for quite some time." If that's the case, we're in for a [very bumpy]() and [extremely cringe]() four years. **More on this strange dynamic:** [*Body Language Expert Says Trump Is Acting "Submissive" Around Musk*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()