Former U.S. President Donald Trump revealed on Monday that he would consider appointing Tesla CEO Elon Musk to his Cabinet if he wins the upcoming November election.
Trump praised Musk as a “brilliant guy” and expressed admiration for the tech billionaire’s intelligence in an interview with Reuters.
Musk quickly responded via social media, expressing his readiness to serve in such a role. During the interview, Trump hinted at the possibility of reversing the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases—a key component of the Biden administration’s climate change strategy.
Musk, who owns the social media platform X, has publicly endorsed Trump and supported a super PAC backing the former president’s campaign.
The day before, Trump and Musk engaged in a two-hour discussion on X, where Musk indicated his interest in joining a government commission to address the national debt and overhaul Congressional spending. Musk even shared an AI-generated image featuring himself with a “Department of Government Efficiency” plaque.
Last month, Musk endorsed Trump for the 2024 presidential race following an assassination attempt on the former president. This support came despite Trump’s previous efforts to repeal the electric vehicle tax credit, which was later expanded under President Joe Biden.
Trump has suggested that he might reverse Biden’s rules that incentivize automakers to produce more EVs and plug-in hybrids to meet stricter emissions standards.
Trump also outlined his plans to impose new tariffs to discourage the export of vehicles produced in Mexico and by the Detroit Three automakers for the U.S. market. He emphasized that such tariffs would compel manufacturers to produce cars domestically.
Trump expressed openness to foreign automakers building new plants in the U.S., particularly if they create jobs for American workers. “If China and other countries want to come here and sell cars, they will need to build plants and hire our workers,” Trump stated. “We want to make our cars here.”
