Elon Musk reportedly joins Trump’s call with Zelensky

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is emerging as a key confidant of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Musk actively supported Trump’s campaign during the presidential election and recently sat in on Trump's phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It is rare for a businessman to participate in calls between the president-elect and foreign leaders, leading some to expect that Musk will significantly influence the next Trump administration.

Musk also reportedly participated in a call with President Erdogan on the same day. “Musk's participation in the call is evidence that he has amassed a remarkable amount of political and economic power,” The Washington Post wrote. “Signals his willingness to take on important roles in the Trump administration.”

Since September, Trump has vowed to establish a government efficiency commission headed by Elon Musk. The commission will reportedly be tasked with combing through the books of federal agencies to cut spending on wasteful programs and eliminate unnecessary regulations. Musk claimed on the campaign trail last month that he could cut at least $2 trillion from the budget using the government efficiency commission. The idea is to reduce one-third of federal spending in fiscal year 2024, which totals $6.75 trillion.


김보라 기자 purple@donga.com