US President Donald Trump stated that he will not allow billionaire Elon Musk to participate in making any decisions regarding space that are being made by the American government. This came after a question about potential conflicts of interest for Musk in light of his business interests and the government's budget cuts.
Trump told reporters, "We will not let Elon participate in anything related to space." Previously, the White House stated that Musk himself will exempt himself from any conflicts between the interests of his various businesses and the government's efforts to cut federal spending through the government-led Efficiency Advancement Initiative.
The White House pointed out that Musk's role in the Trump administration is as a White House employee and senior advisor to the president, and he does not represent the Efficiency Advancement Initiative as a staff member. The White House also emphasized that Musk does not have full authority to make decisions.
The agency for enhancing the efficiency of the government began checking the work of federal agencies since Trump started his second presidential term last month, charging Musk with accountability for the fight against racism as part of the non-discrimination civil service reform, including massive layoffs of employees.
Trump remarked about Musk: "This man is for me a patriot, and therefore you can consider him an employee, you can consider him an advisor, you can call him whatever you like, but he is my patriot."
