A bit clingy? Trump jokes he ‘can’t get Elon Musk out of Mar-a-Lago’
By Cameron Henderson
Donald Trump teased Elon Musk that he couldn’t get him to leave Mar-a-Lago following reports the Tesla billionaire had spent days hanging out at the president-elect’s Florida resort.
Speaking at a donor event at the Palm Beach estate, Trump quipped: “He likes this place. I can’t get him out of here. I like him here, too.”
Can Elon Musk and Donald Trump, two uber-alpha personalities, work together or will Musk go the way of so many others in Trump’s circle?Credit: AP
Trump’s comments come amid reports that the world’s richest man has spent the majority of his time at Mar-a-Lago since November 5 joining the Trump transition team for virtually every meeting and sharing many meals with the president-elect.
Although the Twitter (now X) and SpaceX owner briefly went home to his $US35 million ($54 million) mansion in Austin, Texas, The New York Times reported that he returned to Florida on Friday to eat on the Mar-a-Lago patio, roam the gift shop and spend time on the golf course alongside Trump.
Elon Musk seems to have been enoying his stay at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Credit: AP
Trump aides have grown annoyed by the constant presence of Musk, who is said to have been far more hands-on than even some of his allies had thought, NBC reported.
According to some aides, he has played a more significant role in the transition period than Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon, the two figures officially appointed to lead the process.
Musk has also sat in with the president-elect during phone calls with a number of world leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
Musk was photographed posing with his son, X, alongside the Trump family on election night and out on the golf course in the days afterwards.
Linda McMahon, a member of Donald Trump’s transition team, and Elon Musk listen as Trump speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Thursday.Credit: AP
Kai Trump, the president-elect’s 17-year-old niece, captioned the latter photo: “Elon achieving uncle status.” Musk later responded to a comment on social media by saying: “I’m happy to be the first buddy!”
The president-elect announced on Tuesday that Musk would head up a department of government efficiency asked to strip back government spending.
Trump’s comments about Musk came during a summit of the Conservative Political Action Conference, where he was joined by Argentine President Javier Milei.
The Telegraph, London
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