From critic to staunch ally: How Musk’s relationship with Trump has evolved

Elon Musk and Donald Trump person shifted from critics to improbable allies implicit the span of 1 predetermination cycle.

Mr Musk, who became a US national successful 2002, described himself arsenic a “moderate Democrat” until precocious but became a vocal professional of the enactment during the Biden administration.

In 2022, the Tesla and SpaceX main enforcement said they had go “the enactment of part & hate” and confirmed helium would displacement to voting Republican.

But helium remained captious of Mr Trump, tweeting successful July 2022: “I don’t hatred the man, but it’s clip for Trump to bent up his chapeau & sail into the sunset.”

He followed this up by saying determination would beryllium “too overmuch drama” if Mr Trump tried to tally for the White House again, adding: “Do we truly privation a bull successful a china store concern each azygous day!?”

The erstwhile president accused Mr Musk of lying to him astir who helium had voted for successful the erstwhile statesmanlike predetermination – a assertion the tech entrepreneur denied.

And though Mr Musk told a New York Times interviewer successful 2023 that helium would not ballot for Mr Biden, helium stopped abbreviated of endorsing Mr Trump, saying: “This is decidedly a hard prime here.”

Mr Musk lifted the prohibition connected the erstwhile president’s Twitter relationship aft successfully buying the institution successful 2022 and changing its sanction to X.

He aboriginal formally endorsed Mr Trump 2 days aft his assassination effort successful July 2024.

He went connected to undertake overmuch of the get-out-the-vote effort for Mr Trump done his governmental organisation, America PAC, which tin rise and walk unlimited sums of money.

He was reported to person joined the erstwhile president’s predetermination nighttime ticker enactment astatine his location successful Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

Mr Musk’s begetter Errol Musk said this displacement successful sentiment came arsenic a effect of his lad seeing “common sense”.

He told TalkTV’s US Election 2024 programme: “I’ve been telling him for galore years that helium should enactment Donald Trump. He didn’t perceive to maine successful the beginning.

“He was rather upset astir the thought successful the opening – much than upset. He was precise anti-Trump a fewer years agone and he’s changed now.

“He successful information is doing what I would beryllium doing if I was his age. I would beryllium doing what he’s doing.

“Common consciousness (changed his mind). He saw what was happening and helium didn’t realise it earlier that you can’t enactment authorities successful the hands of radical who person nary cognition of concern and nary cognition of moving thing simply due to the fact that they were elected by a alleged antiauthoritarian bulk of akin people.

“No, you request due radical who cognize what they’re doing.

“You’ve got to person radical similar Trump with a concern mind. Running a state is simply a business. It’s thing else.

I've been telling him for galore years that helium should enactment Donald Trump. He didn't perceive to maine successful the beginning.

Errol Musk

“It’s simply a gigantic concern cognition and you’ve got to person radical similar that moving the country. Not radical who haven’t got a hint what they’re doing.”

Mr Trump antecedently said helium would make a authorities ratio committee to audit the full national government, an thought suggested by Mr Musk – who would pb it.

When asked whether helium could spot his lad moving successful government, Mr Musk said: “I bash actually. I deliberation Trump has really said so.

“The occupation is Elon’s clip is very, precise limited. But I ideate helium would find clip …

“I surely spot Elon precise overmuch progressive with Trump successful getting the United States backmost to the state that it was and distant from the insanity that has been ruling it successful caller times.”