Republicans Hope Elon Musk’s Trumpworld Influence Can Boost America’s Space Ambitions

“We don’t have a space program that’s worth anything,” said Rep. Rich McCormick, a Republican on the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. “I’m very thankful for people like Elon Musk.”

President-elect Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk explains the operations at SpaceX.

Elon Musk explains the operations at SpaceX to President-elect Donald Trump. Brandon Bell/AP

Since the election, Elon Musk’s influence on President-elect Donald Trump has been anything but subtle.

Musk has practically been living at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won. “He likes this place,” Trump recently said of Musk. “I can’t get him out of here.”

He’s reportedly played a hand in selecting cabinet positions. And last week, as Trump made his way to the site of the sixth test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket in Brownsville, Texas, a Tesla Cybertruck rode along in the middle of his motorcade.