Former President Donald Trump has revealed a surprising new role for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk if he wins the 2024 presidential election. During an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on October 13, Trump disclosed that he is planning to create a new government position-“Secretary of Cost Cutting”-specifically for Musk. This announcement comes as the tech mogul has shown increasing support for Trump throughout the campaign, even making appearances at rallies alongside the former president.

In the interview on Fox News, Sunday Morning Futuresshow, Bartiromo raised the issue of wasteful government spending, asking Trump which agencies he would focus on shutting down if he were to return to the White House. Trump pivoted the question towards Musk, whom he described as an ideal candidate for eliminating unnecessary expenses in the federal government.

“Incredible fat,” Trump responded when asked about government waste, before suggesting that Musk would be the perfect person to take on the task of streamlining government operations. “Let me have you ask another person that, because I’m going to have Elon Musk, he is dying to do this… You know, he’s a great business guy, actually.”

Trump continued by praising Musk’s business acumen and his ability to cut costs effectively. He referenced Musk’s innovations at companies like Tesla and SpaceX, particularly highlighting Musk’s recent achievements in rocket science and materials engineering. “He’s developed a new screw. Screws are difficult and it’s made out of titanium… but you know what, he’s a great business guy and he’s a great cost cutter. And he said, ‘I could cut costs without affecting anybody.'”

While Bartiromo pressed Trump on whether Musk would join his cabinet, Trump clarified that Musk would not hold an official cabinet position but would instead have a unique, newly created role focused solely on cost-cutting measures across various government agencies. “He doesn’t want to be in the cabinet, he just wants to be in charge of cost-cutting. We’ll have a new position: Secretary of Cost Cutting. OK? Elon wants to do that.”

This potential role for Musk fits into Trump’s larger campaign narrative of running the government more like a business. By enlisting someone with Musk’s reputation for innovation and efficiency, Trump aims to make the case that he can shrink government spending and boost economic growth through private-sector methods.

Musk’s relationship with Trump has been evolving, with the tech billionaire increasingly voicing his support for the former president’s policies and even appearing at his campaign events. Recently, Musk appeared at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he made opening remarks praising Trump’s resilience and encouraging people to register to vote.

During the rally, Musk donned a shirt with the slogan “Occupy Mars,” a nod to his ambitions through SpaceX to make humanity a multi-planetary species. Musk’s company has been working toward a mission to Mars for years, and Trump brought this ambition into the conversation during his interview with Bartiromo. “He’s made me a promise he’ll get to Mars before the end of my administration, which will be long before, hopefully, China or Russia,” Trump said, signaling his belief that Musk’s innovations will play a role in U.S. technological supremacy.

Trump’s comments about Musk underscore a growing admiration between the two figures. While they come from vastly different backgrounds-Trump, a real estate mogul turned politician, and Musk, a tech visionary with companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter)-both share a reputation for breaking the mold and challenging the status quo.

For Musk, his alignment with Trump might come from a shared desire for deregulation and a business-friendly environment. Musk has been critical of government policies that he believes stifle innovation, and Trump’s focus on reducing government oversight aligns with those views. Additionally, both men have a history of using bold, unconventional methods to achieve their goals, a quality that seems to appeal to Trump as he looks for allies to help him reshape the government.

However, there are risks for Musk in aligning so closely with Trump. While Musk has a dedicated fanbase for his work with Tesla and SpaceX, his public association with Trump could alienate some of his customers and investors. Tesla, in particular, has a customer base that skews younger and more progressive-demographics that have traditionally been less supportive of Trump.

In fact, Musk’s latest Tesla event, titled “We, Robot,” where he unveiled new vehicles, sparked mixed reactions from fans and investors alike. The designs, which aimed to showcase futuristic autonomous technology, were divisive, and Tesla’s stock price fell 7.8 percent shortly after the event. While there’s no direct evidence to suggest a link between his support for Trump and the stock’s decline, some speculate that his political affiliations could impact investor confidence in the long term.

If Trump’s plans come to fruition, Musk’s role as “Secretary of Cost Cutting” would likely focus on restructuring government agencies to operate more efficiently, reducing waste, and implementing new technologies to streamline operations. Musk has previously advocated for automation and AI as tools to improve efficiency in both the private and public sectors, so it’s possible that these technologies would play a role in his cost-cutting efforts.

Trump’s plan to bring Musk into his administration in some capacity is just one of the many unconventional ideas that have characterized his political career. Whether or not this plan comes to fruition remains to be seen, but it highlights the extent to which Trump is willing to shake up traditional governance structures if he returns to office in 2024.

As the campaign progresses, all eyes will be on Musk and Trump’s partnership, and how it could shape the future of government efficiency, space exploration, and beyond.

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