NBC News has reported growing tensions surrounding Elon Musk’s role in Donald Trump’s transition team, with some insiders describing his presence as “overbearing.”
On Tuesday, President-elect Trump announced that Musk, the CEO of Tesla and X, would co-lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, a multi-millionaire who had run against Trump in the presidential election.
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However, for some in Trump’s orbit, Musk’s assertiveness has become a source of frustration.
Two sources familiar with the transition, who spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity, said Musk’s near-constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Election Day had begun to wear on members of Trump’s long-time inner circle.
“Musk is behaving as if he’s a co-president and making sure everyone knows it,” one source said.
Another added, “He’s taking lots of credit for the president’s victory—bragging about America PAC and X to anyone who will listen. He’s trying to make President Trump feel indebted to him. And the president is indebted to no one.”
According to the report, Musk has aggressively inserted himself into discussions about Trump’s second-term agenda, stepping on the toes of Trump’s transition team and appearing at all hours at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida residence.
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The sources said Musk had joined sensitive calls and meetings, even before his formal role in the administration was announced. This included briefly participating in a phone conversation last week between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
When approached for comment, Musk did not respond to NBC News’ request.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance transition team, stated: “Elon Musk and President Trump are great friends and brilliant leaders working together to Make America Great Again. Elon Musk is a once-in-a-generation business leader, and our federal bureaucracy will certainly benefit from his ideas and efficiency.”
Elon Musk’s assertive involvement in Donald Trump’s transition team is reportedly frustrating insiders, according to NBC News.
“Musk has an opinion on and about everything,” said one source, adding that his forceful approach is “pestering” Trump’s advisers. “He wants to be seen as having say in everything (even if he doesn’t).”
Another source criticized Musk for pushing his own agenda instead of focusing on Trump’s priorities.
“Appointing people because they are loyal to Elon doesn’t work,” they noted, expressing concerns that Musk’s high-profile engagement could damage his standing in the long term.
Musk has been a staunch Trump supporter, contributing over $152 million through his super PAC, hosting rallies, offering giveaways, and using X as a platform for Trump.
However, their relationship has been rocky in the past. Musk once suggested Trump should “sail into the sunset,” to which Trump retorted Musk would be “worthless” without government subsidies.
“There has been intense speculation about the long-term viability of the relationship, given the ambitions and personalities of the two men, with many people on social media predicting an eventual falling-out,” NBC’s report said.
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