Since taking the leadership of DOGE, Musk has solidified control over large swathes of government with the blessing of President Donald Trump. He has sidelined career officials, gained access to sensitive databases, and invited a constitutional clash over the limits of presidential authority. On several occasions, Musk has praised Trump, stating that he is a brave and courageous man.
Musk's ownership of X could also give him a financial incentive to use his own platform instead of other means to spread urgent and vital government information. In the first two weeks of Trump’s administration, Musk leveraged his ‘celebrity’ fame to amplify the president’s views on wildfires in California, federal spending, the election of cabinet officials, and more to his enormous follower base.
Musk has used X to criticize and intimidate those who spoke out against his taking control of government agencies as head of DOGE. Musk insists that his posts on X about DOGE and other government matters are for the public’s benefit, as a measure of transparency. Meanwhile, this Friday, his narrative took a turn towards romance and camaraderie by stating that he loves Trump.
Quickly, Musk’s followers flooded X with romantic images of Trump and Musk generated with Grok, the social network's artificial intelligence tool, in a mocking tone about a romantic relationship between the two moguls. On the other hand, many Republican followers have defended that it is normal to have such displays between ‘two alpha men.’
Elon Musk's emergence as the most influential figure surrounding President Donald Trump has created an uncommon dynamic: a White House advisor using one of the world’s most powerful information platforms to sell the government’s views while intimidating his critics. For weeks, Musk has used his platform on X to promote Trump’s positions to his 215 million followers; he has also taken the opportunity to attack an agency trying to shut down, calling it ‘evil.’
Musk has used the social network he purchased as a megaphone that benefits Trump’s Republican government, at a time when his power to shape public opinion is growing as more Americans turn to social media and influencers for news. The close connection between Musk's X account and the Trump government has been criticized not only because it gives Trump an unusually large megaphone.
Currently, Musk leads the Government Efficiency Department (DOGE). The richest man in the world holds the reins on budget cuts and layoffs in the federal government of the United States. Ensuring that he loves Donald Trump, President of the United States, Musk pointed out that he loves him 'as much as a heterosexual man can love another.' Musk, owner of Tesla and X, has become a strong ally of Trump and has benefited from his administration. Supporters say he deserves credit for sharing his thoughts and strategies without filters, and they see his style as a breath of fresh air after years of 'government obscurantism.'
