Billionaire Elon Musk was present during a phone call between President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, as first reported by Axios on Friday. This marks the first indication that Musk, a significant Republican donor, may play a more involved role in the Trump administration than previously disclosed public discussions about a government efficiency position.
Both Axios and the Financial Times confirmed Musk’s participation in the call, an unusual occurrence, where Musk assured Zelensky of continued support for Ukraine through his Starlink satellites.
Throughout the election, Trump and Musk developed a closer relationship, with Musk contributing over $100 million to Trump’s reelection campaign and actively advocating for his victory online. They have discussed potential roles for Musk in the Trump administration, though a foreign policy position had not been publicly mentioned until now.
In his early Wednesday morning victory speech, Trump praised Musk as a “super genius” following Musk’s substantial financial support: “Let me tell you, we have a new star… a star is born, Elon.”
Trump lauded Musk as a unique and brilliant individual, emphasizing the need to protect such talents. This commendation followed months of Musk’s significant campaign contributions and vocal support, with Trump indicating Musk would hold a government position in his new administration.
In September, Trump announced plans to establish a government efficiency commission to conduct a comprehensive audit of the federal government, a proposal initially suggested by Musk. Trump stated that Musk, the world’s richest person, had agreed to lead this task force if Trump were reelected.
Musk first proposed the idea of a commission to ensure efficient use of taxpayer money during an August conversation with Trump, which was live-streamed on Musk’s social media platform, X.
Following Trump’s announcement, Musk expressed eagerness on social media to take on the role, highlighting the need to eliminate waste and unnecessary regulations in government.
In October, Trump described Musk as a “great business guy” and referred to his prospective role as “Secretary of Cost-Cutting” during an interview with Fox News.