Musk navigates unique territory among Trump advisers by openly disagreeing with the president
The Trump adviser candidly expresses his views, which appears to resonate well with the president.
TroibNews 
President Donald Trump is known for surrounding himself with advisers who heed his directives and for dismissing those who do not align with his views. However, Elon Musk appears to stand apart from this pattern.
In the past week, Musk has shown increasing boldness in voicing his disagreements on various issues, from Trump’s political messaging to the views of the president's other advisers. He has consistently positioned himself ahead of Trump, both during and after his entry into the White House.
Democrats have attempted to create a divide between Trump and Musk, mockingly dubbing Musk “President Elon” in hopes of provoking the president, who is known for disliking shared attention.
Yet, Trump seems pleased with Musk, despite the latter drawing significant attention that eclipses that of other senior White House officials and members of the Cabinet. Trump, who was infamous for swiftly firing officials in his previous administration, appears to have maintained a favorable view of Musk.
Neither the White House nor Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency responded to inquiries on Saturday about their relationship. Nevertheless, Trump has dismissed the “co-president” taunting, asserting during a February joint interview with Musk on Fox News that “it’s just so obvious. They’re so bad at it.”
Trump has continued to commend Musk even as he suggests he will be stepping away soon. During a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump praised Musk and his DOGE team, stating, “Your people are fantastic. Hopefully, they will stay around for the long haul, we’d like to keep as many as we can.”
Without any directives from Trump, Musk has remained outspoken regarding administration matters. Here are five instances where Musk has exceeded the typical boundaries set for presidential advisers:
Tariff tussle
Musk has targeted Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, known for promoting the administration’s stringent tariff policies. The billionaire expressed his criticisms of Navarro on his social media platform X, mocking the adviser multiple times, including sharing a video where Navarro elaborated on the rationale behind the tariffs.
Trump’s tariffs prompted immediate market disruptions and catalyzed a global trade war, costing Musk billions, as he leads several companies that depend on parts imported from China—one of the primary targets of Trump’s tariff strategy. In a speech overseas, he expressed a desire to see the U.S. and European Union eventually achieve a “zero-tariff situation” just days following the trade war's initiation.
Musk did not hold back his frustrations towards Navarro, branding him as a “moron” and assigning him the nickname “Peter Retarrdo.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed inquiries regarding Musk’s public criticisms, stating, “Boys will be boys, and we will let their public sparring continue.”
To infinity and beyond
Musk also voiced concerns after reports surfaced about significant cuts proposed to NASA’s budget by the Office of Management and Budget. As the largest private contractor to NASA through SpaceX, Musk expressed his discontent on X, calling the cuts “troubling” and clarifying that while he is “very much in favor of science,” he “unfortunately cannot participate in NASA budget discussions, due to SpaceX being a major contractor to NASA.”
Despite his lack of direct involvement in budget discussions, Musk has a strong connection with Trump’s NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, whose payment processing company has invested in SpaceX.
Cabinet smackdown
Musk has publicly influenced discussions within Trump’s Cabinet. Although not an official Cabinet member, he clashed with Secretary of State Marco Rubio over proposed cuts to the State Department.
“ELON AND MARCO HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP. ANY STATEMENT OTHER THAN THAT IS FAKE NEWS!!!” Trump asserted on Truth Social. Eventually, he had to reassure his Cabinet members that while Musk was allowed to make recommendations across the government, he did not have the authority to implement changes unilaterally—this reassurance came only after Musk had exerted considerable influence over federal operations.
Musk also urged then-transition co-chair Howard Lutnick to lead the Treasury Department following Trump’s election. The president ultimately appointed Scott Bessent to this position but later selected Lutnick as secretary of Commerce.
With friends like these
Musk intervened in the competition for Senate Republican leadership—a realm Trump opted to avoid. As the race intensified in November, Musk endorsed Florida’s Rick Scott for the leadership role, in stark contrast to Trump, who chose to remain noncommittal regarding any endorsements.
Trump instead emphasized that any senator seeking the leadership role “must agree to Recess Appointments” to streamline the process for his Cabinet appointments. Musk proclaimed, “Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!” Additionally, he criticized Sen. John Thune—who eventually secured the position and is pivotal in advancing Trump’s Congressional agenda—referring to him as the “top choice of Democrats.”
Going global
On the international stage, Musk has also expressed opinions on elections, notably endorsing a range of right-wing candidates across Europe—a highly unusual stance for an adviser to a sitting president. His endorsement of the far-right Alternative for Germany party during a snap election drew considerable attention and backlash for interfering in the country's democratic processes. Musk persisted in his support, engaging in discussions with AfD leader Alice Weidel and even virtually attending a party rally shortly after Trump’s inauguration, during which he encouraged German voters to back Weidel and to “move on” from “past guilt,” evidently alluding to Germany’s historical context concerning the Nazi party.
Musk has also publicly criticized now-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has received Trump’s support, and briefly backed anti-immigrant Reform leader Nigel Farage, only to later disparage the U.K. politician in a sharp reversal.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
In the past week, Musk has shown increasing boldness in voicing his disagreements on various issues, from Trump’s political messaging to the views of the president's other advisers. He has consistently positioned himself ahead of Trump, both during and after his entry into the White House.
Democrats have attempted to create a divide between Trump and Musk, mockingly dubbing Musk “President Elon” in hopes of provoking the president, who is known for disliking shared attention.
Yet, Trump seems pleased with Musk, despite the latter drawing significant attention that eclipses that of other senior White House officials and members of the Cabinet. Trump, who was infamous for swiftly firing officials in his previous administration, appears to have maintained a favorable view of Musk.
Neither the White House nor Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency responded to inquiries on Saturday about their relationship. Nevertheless, Trump has dismissed the “co-president” taunting, asserting during a February joint interview with Musk on Fox News that “it’s just so obvious. They’re so bad at it.”
Trump has continued to commend Musk even as he suggests he will be stepping away soon. During a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump praised Musk and his DOGE team, stating, “Your people are fantastic. Hopefully, they will stay around for the long haul, we’d like to keep as many as we can.”
Without any directives from Trump, Musk has remained outspoken regarding administration matters. Here are five instances where Musk has exceeded the typical boundaries set for presidential advisers:
Tariff tussle
Musk has targeted Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, known for promoting the administration’s stringent tariff policies. The billionaire expressed his criticisms of Navarro on his social media platform X, mocking the adviser multiple times, including sharing a video where Navarro elaborated on the rationale behind the tariffs.
Trump’s tariffs prompted immediate market disruptions and catalyzed a global trade war, costing Musk billions, as he leads several companies that depend on parts imported from China—one of the primary targets of Trump’s tariff strategy. In a speech overseas, he expressed a desire to see the U.S. and European Union eventually achieve a “zero-tariff situation” just days following the trade war's initiation.
Musk did not hold back his frustrations towards Navarro, branding him as a “moron” and assigning him the nickname “Peter Retarrdo.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed inquiries regarding Musk’s public criticisms, stating, “Boys will be boys, and we will let their public sparring continue.”
To infinity and beyond
Musk also voiced concerns after reports surfaced about significant cuts proposed to NASA’s budget by the Office of Management and Budget. As the largest private contractor to NASA through SpaceX, Musk expressed his discontent on X, calling the cuts “troubling” and clarifying that while he is “very much in favor of science,” he “unfortunately cannot participate in NASA budget discussions, due to SpaceX being a major contractor to NASA.”
Despite his lack of direct involvement in budget discussions, Musk has a strong connection with Trump’s NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, whose payment processing company has invested in SpaceX.
Cabinet smackdown
Musk has publicly influenced discussions within Trump’s Cabinet. Although not an official Cabinet member, he clashed with Secretary of State Marco Rubio over proposed cuts to the State Department.
“ELON AND MARCO HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP. ANY STATEMENT OTHER THAN THAT IS FAKE NEWS!!!” Trump asserted on Truth Social. Eventually, he had to reassure his Cabinet members that while Musk was allowed to make recommendations across the government, he did not have the authority to implement changes unilaterally—this reassurance came only after Musk had exerted considerable influence over federal operations.
Musk also urged then-transition co-chair Howard Lutnick to lead the Treasury Department following Trump’s election. The president ultimately appointed Scott Bessent to this position but later selected Lutnick as secretary of Commerce.
With friends like these
Musk intervened in the competition for Senate Republican leadership—a realm Trump opted to avoid. As the race intensified in November, Musk endorsed Florida’s Rick Scott for the leadership role, in stark contrast to Trump, who chose to remain noncommittal regarding any endorsements.
Trump instead emphasized that any senator seeking the leadership role “must agree to Recess Appointments” to streamline the process for his Cabinet appointments. Musk proclaimed, “Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!” Additionally, he criticized Sen. John Thune—who eventually secured the position and is pivotal in advancing Trump’s Congressional agenda—referring to him as the “top choice of Democrats.”
Going global
On the international stage, Musk has also expressed opinions on elections, notably endorsing a range of right-wing candidates across Europe—a highly unusual stance for an adviser to a sitting president. His endorsement of the far-right Alternative for Germany party during a snap election drew considerable attention and backlash for interfering in the country's democratic processes. Musk persisted in his support, engaging in discussions with AfD leader Alice Weidel and even virtually attending a party rally shortly after Trump’s inauguration, during which he encouraged German voters to back Weidel and to “move on” from “past guilt,” evidently alluding to Germany’s historical context concerning the Nazi party.
Musk has also publicly criticized now-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has received Trump’s support, and briefly backed anti-immigrant Reform leader Nigel Farage, only to later disparage the U.K. politician in a sharp reversal.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
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