Former President Donald Trump might have Tesla CEO Elon Musk join him in the White House if he wins a second term in November.
The two speak on the phone several times a month, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, and Mr. Trump is considering an advisory role for Mr. Musk.
The X owner would have input over border security and economic policies, people familiar with the plan told the outlet.
The advisory role was first mentioned in March at the Palm Beach, Florida, home of billionaire Nelson Peltz.
Mr. Musk and Mr. Peltz had discussions with Mr. Trump about a plan they have developed to invest in “a data-driven project to prevent voter fraud,” along with informing him of an influence campaign in which Mr. Musk and his allies in politics host meetings to persuade the country’s business leaders not to vote for President Biden.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk have feuded for years, but their interests and views have become more aligned, the sources said. Mr. Trump has been growingly impressed with Mr. Musk’s right-leaning opinions.
“Look, I’ve been friendly with him over the years,” Mr. Trump told CNBC in March. “I’ve helped him when I was president. I helped him. I’ve liked him.”
Mr. Musk has not financially supported Mr. Trump’s campaign this election cycle and said in a March X post he wouldn’t be supporting Mr. Biden either.
“Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for U.S. president,” Mr. Musk, who also heads SpaceX, posted.
Mr. Musk hasn’t publicly endorsed any candidate for president, but he’s bashed Mr. Biden and his policies on X.
“Biden obviously barely knows what’s going on. He is just a tragic front for a far-left political machine,” he posted in April.
In a post from February, Mr. Musk, responding to a report from The Associated Press about Mr. Biden prioritizing the legal status of immigrants, criticized the policy.
“Biden’s strategy is very simple: 1. Get as many illegals in the country as possible. 2. Legalize them to create a permanent majority — a one-party state. That is why they are encouraging so much illegal immigration. Simple, yet effective,” he wrote.
Brian Hughes, a Trump campaign spokesman, told The Wall Street Journal that Mr. Trump “will be the only voice of what role an individual plays in his presidency.”
The outlet said Mr. Musk didn’t respond to requests for comment.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.