Elon Musk has experienced a remarkable turnaround in 2024, shifting from being an outsider to becoming one of the most influential figures in politics. The Tesla CEO started the year by working behind the scenes for former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Musk became a major megadonor and supporter of Trump’s bid for the presidency.
Musk’s influence grew significantly as his close friendship with Trump solidified. He even went as far as to join Trump on the campaign trail, focusing primarily in Pennsylvania. Musk gave away $1 million to voters in swing states, which sparked controversy when Philadelphia’s district attorney filed a lawsuit attempting to stop the effort.
Despite the initial backlash, the $1 million giveaway ultimately helped Trump secure the presidency. After Election Day, Musk joined Trump at his private Mar-a-Lago club to watch the results unfold, with Trump publicly declaring that Musk was now part of their “squad.”
The unlikely friendship continued after the election, as Trump and Musk enjoyed a night out together watching UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. In December, Musk worked on an outside advisory panel called DOGE, which aimed to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget.
Musk’s partnership with Trump led to some notable moments in December, including a visit to Capitol Hill where they discussed their plans with GOP lawmakers. When House lawmakers reached a deal to avoid a government shutdown just before Christmas, Musk was initially concerned that it might not meet Trump’s expectations.
However, after the final product passed, which trimmed $100 billion from disaster relief and extended farm policies for a year, Musk declared himself satisfied. The funding bill ultimately trimmed $2 trillion from the federal budget, a goal shared by both Musk and Trump.
Despite the recent partnership between him and Trump, there are still doubts about whether Musk can be president due to his birthplace. However, Trump has reassured that he won’t be president, citing Musk’s lack of citizenship as a reason.
Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-spent-2024-getting-151501681.html