U.S. President Donald Trump showcased a close relationship with Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), during a joint interview. This is the first time President Trump and Musk have jointly participated in a media interview.
In a joint interview aired on Fox News on the 18th (local time), President Trump defended Musk and expressed camaraderie. President Trump said, "Musk is truly someone who cares about the country. He is a very different kind of person," adding that "the people who love him are very smart and young individuals who love their country." He further praised Musk, stating, "Musk is more than just an engineer. I wanted to find someone smarter than Musk, but I just couldn't."
Musk also responded. He said, "I like the president. He has been attacked by the media," adding, "I spend a lot of time with the president, and I've never seen him do anything spiteful or wrong." He emphasized, "I love the president. I want to make that clear," and stated, "I think President Trump is a good man."
President Trump reiterated that Musk would not pursue his business interests in relation to conflicts of interest. He stated, "If conflicts of interest arise, Musk will not be involved in the work," further noting, "I don't want that. And Musk wouldn't want that either."
President Trump made these comments during discussions about cuts to electric vehicle subsidies from the federal government. He said, "I told them to do the right thing where they are massively reducing electric vehicle subsidies, and Musk is reducing them." President Trump remarked, "He probably won't be happy about that," but added, "If they reduce the subsidies, he might do better. He believes he has a better product, and if a fair playing field is established, he doesn't care what happens."
The interview was filmed with both men sitting side by side facing host Sean Hannity. The interview reportedly took place last week at the White House.