Elon Musk’s Involvement in Donald Trump’s Administration Affirmed by Inauguration Events and Commitment to Mars Exploration | US News
Elon Musk’s prominent position in the new Donald Trump administration was confirmed as he took center stage during the inauguration ceremony, where he heard the president commit to a mission to Mars.
Musk was seated behind the Trump family at Monday’s event, displaying his excitement by cheering and raising his fists as the president vowed to “pursue our manifest destiny into the stars.”
The CEO of SpaceX appeared thrilled as Mr. Trump promised to “send American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on Mars”—a long-held dream of Musk’s.
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Shortly after the oath-taking, he delivered an enthusiastic speech at a rally, commending the president.
He predicted the onset of a new “golden age” for the United States, telling supporters at Capital One Arena in Washington DC: “Thanks to you, the future of civilization is secured.”
Unable to hold back his enthusiasm, he exclaimed: “I can’t wait. This is going to be incredible.”
As the world’s richest person, Musk also shared his thoughts on his social media platform X, expressing his support for Trump with the phrase: “The Return of the King.”
Elon Musk salutes during his speech at Capital One Arena
Mr. Musk speaks to the audience in Washington DC
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The Tesla CEO contributed around $200 million (£162 million) to support Trump’s campaign for re-election.
In the wake of his appointment, Mr. Musk has been named head of the newly established Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE).
This advisory group, while not officially part of the government, is expected to propose significant budget cuts and reduce bureaucracy.
Following his appointment, Mr. Musk set a budget reduction target of $2 trillion (£1.62 trillion)—approximately equal to the US deficit.
Achieving such efficiencies would likely necessitate cuts to social security and Medicare programs, potentially leading to staff reductions for hundreds of thousands of government employees.
On inauguration day, Musk was joined by other tech leaders, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
He shook hands with Mr. Trump’s son Barron and was prominently featured behind him in many televised shots of the president.
Elon Musk cheers as Donald Trump announces his Mars mission. Pic: Reuters
Ramaswamy no longer part of DOGE
Initially, Mr. Musk was set to lead the new department alongside former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
However, earlier on Monday, DOGE announced that Ramaswamy would no longer be involved in the initiative, as he plans to run for governor of Ohio.
Elon Musk reacts as Mr. Trump speaks the night before his inauguration. Pic: AP
“Vivek Ramaswamy was instrumental in helping us establish DOGE,” stated spokesperson Anna Kelly.
“He intends to pursue an elected position, which necessitates his exit from DOGE, as per the structure we outlined today.
“We greatly appreciate his contributions over the past two months and anticipate his ongoing involvement in revitalizing America.”
