The Morning: Musk and Trump

Plus, Ukraine, Haiti and the unofficial liquor of Chicago.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 18, 2024 Good morning. Today, my colleague Jonathan Mahler analyzes Elon Musk's political influence. We're also covering Ukraine, Haiti and the unofficial liquor of Chicago. —David Leonhardt Elon Musk at Mar-a-Lago. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times The mogul By Jonathan Mahler I'm a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine. Over the course of the 2024 presidential campaign, Elon Musk went from dark-money donor to high-profile surrogate to unofficial chief of staff. He camped out at Mar-a-Lago after the election with the Trump family and hopped on Donald Trump's call with Ukraine's president. He's even played diplomat, meeting secretly in New York with Iran's ambassador to the United Nations. Last week, the president-elect named Musk to co-lead a department focused on government efficiency, a role that will put him in a position to recommend the hiring and firing of federal workers and the restructuring of entire agencies. But it's clear that Musk's influence could reach far beyond even this. He and Trump are in sync on a lot of issues (immigration, trans rights). And although they diverge on some others (climate change and policies that push people toward electric vehicles), the world's richest person has now allied himself with the leader of the free world whom he helped install in office, creating a political partnership unlike anything America has ever seen. In today's newsletter, we will look at Musk's agenda and ideology — and at what his influence in the new administration could mean for both him and the country. Big government deals Musk previewed plans for his new job on the campaign trail. He said that the federal government's $6.8 trillion budget should be slashed by at least $2 trillion and acknowledged that such draconian cuts would "necessarily involve some temporary hardship." Slashing and burning is certainly one of his hallmarks: He laid off 80 percent of X's staff after buying the company — then called Twitter — in late 2022. Musk has a lot to gain from a second Trump administration. His businesses are already entangled with the federal government, which awarded them $3 billion in contracts across numerous agencies last year. His rocket company, SpaceX, launches military satellites and shuttles astronauts to the International Space Station. Even before the election, Musk asked Trump to hire SpaceX employees at the Defense Department, presumably to further strengthen their ties. Source: The New York Times' analysis of transaction-level contract and grant data from usaspending.gov | By Jonathan Corum Musk is also at war with federal regulators. He faces at least 20 investigations or reviews, including one into the software of Tesla's self-driving cars and another into polluted water allegedly discharged from SpaceX's launchpad in Texas. It's safe to assume that Musk will try to quash these inquiries and also seek greater freedom from oversight in the future. Musk views government regulation as more than just a drain on profits. He is a techno-utopian who sees his work — from trying to colonize Mars to implanting computer chips in people's brains that will enable them to control devices with their thoughts — as vital to the long-term survival of the human race, and he doesn't want bureaucracy to stand in his way. "The Department of Government Efficiency is the only path to extending life beyond Earth," he wrote last month on X. At the same time, some government regulations have proved enormously beneficial to him. Tesla generates billions of dollars selling zero-emission vehicle credits to carmakers that don't make enough electric cars to earn them. Cultivating Trump seems to be paying off. Trump was a harsh critic of electric vehicles; he accused them of hurting American autoworkers while helping China and Mexico. But on the campaign trail this year, Trump said that he was "for electric cars" because "Elon endorsed me very strongly." And that was before Musk relocated to Pennsylvania during the homestretch and spent nearly $120 million to help Trump win. Musk's ideas Musk is not just an entrepreneur. He is a new kind of media mogul, with ready access to the president and few rules governing how he uses his platform. And he wants a hands-off approach. He considers himself a free-speech absolutist. After buying Twitter and renaming it X, Musk reinstated the accounts of hundreds of users barred for spreading misinformation or inciting violence. Trump's was among them — he was kicked off the platform after the Jan. 6 attack out of concern that he might encourage more violence— and during the campaign Musk used his own account to promote Trump's candidacy to his more than 200 million followers. That could make X a new home for the MAGA movement as Trump seeks out friendly outlets to champion his policies. The platform is already a gathering place for Trump's supporters. Once Trump is back in the White House, it's easy to imagine it as the primary means through which he and his officials communicate with the public, bypassing an independent media that Trump considers hostile and Musk considers unnecessary and corrupt. It would cement an unusual bond between two extraordinarily powerful, if famously impulsive, men. Provided that they don't fall out, they stand to gain a great deal from each other. Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Al Drago for The New York Times For more Musk has wooed right-wing heads of state to help him and his companies. NASA, the Pentagon, the E.P.A.: See the government agencies that pay Musk's businesses and how much they shell out. Trump has chosen Brendan Carr, a critic of Big Tech, to lead the Federal Communications Commission. Carr currently sits on the commission and wrote a chapter on the F.C.C. for the Project 2025 planning document. Trump said he was standing by Pete Hegseth, his nominee for defense secretary who has been accused of sexual assault. Hegseth says the interaction was consensual. He previously entered into a financial settlement with the woman that had a confidentiality clause. Trump is interviewing candidates for Treasury secretary, including the Wall Street billionaire Marc Rowan and the former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh. THE LATEST NEWS War in Ukraine In Luhansk, in Russia-controlled Ukraine. Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters President Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia. Read about the weapons that might be used. Biden was responding to Russia's decision to allow North Korean troops into the fight, officials said. Trump might undo his efforts. Middle East Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut, killing at least six people, Lebanese officials said. Attacks inside Beirut are rare, but Israel's military has been targeting Hezbollah in areas nearby. Families of American victims of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack and of those killed fighting in Gaza sued Iran. They accused Iran of supporting the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. More International News The authorities in New Delhi have closed schools and urged people to stay indoors because the Indian capital is choked by toxic smog. Gang violence is prevailing in Haiti, despite foreign intervention. Solutions are difficult to find. Anti-immigrant sentiment is gaining ground in Europe despite a decline in the number of border crossings. The Times spoke with Venezuela's opposition leader in hiding. She is pushing Trump to oust the country's leader, Nicolás Maduro, who is accused of stealing the election. Politics In Manaus, Brazil. Eric Lee/The New York Times Biden visited the Amazon rainforest and promised Brazil funds for environmental initiatives. This election cycle, Democrats' challenges with white working-class voters worsened. One diagnosis: Those voters see the party as unresponsive to their daily troubles. Ann Selzer, a vaunted pollster, announced the end of her election polling operation. Her final Iowa poll before the election showed Kamala Harris leading Trump. Homelessness In Berkeley, Calif. Rachel Bujalski for The New York Times A progressive stronghold in California plans to target two sprawling homeless encampments, relying on a Supreme Court decision handed down by a conservative majority. At least 146,000 public school students in New York City were homeless last year, a record, according to an advocacy group. Other Big Stories About a dozen people carrying Nazi flags and shouting expressions of white power and racial slurs marched through part of Columbus, Ohio. Spirit Airlines has filed for bankruptcy. It recently failed to renegotiate its looming debt. Conservative social media platforms are becoming more popular. Opinions Trump's decision to fill his cabinet with military hawks signals a return to "might makes right" rule. Decades of counterterrorism operations prove it's not effective, Oona Hathaway writes. Pete Hegseth of Fox News represents America's dissatisfaction with our military leaders. But he doesn't have the experience to be defense secretary, Jennifer Steinhauer writes. Gail Collins and Bret Stephens discuss Trump's appointments and Biden's presidency. Here are columns by David French on Trump's demise, and Ezra Klein on what Colorado's governor can teach Democrats. MORNING READS In Orlando, Fla. Zack Wittman for The New York Times The National Bible Bee: See inside a competition where young Christians recite memorized verses. Ask Vanessa: "Should socks be subtle, or should they stand out?" Bluesky: People are turning to the upstart social media site as they seek alternatives to Facebook, X and Threads. Test: How well do you know "Romeo and Juliet"? Take our quiz. Object of desire: A $190 soap dispenser is all the rage in Downtown Manhattan. Metropolitan Diary: A hypnotic city. Lives Lived: In 1974, Celeste Caeiro, handed out red carnations to soldiers on their way to ending a 40-year right-wing dictatorship in Portugal. Her spontaneous patriotic act gave a largely bloodless coup its name: the Carnation Revolution. Caeiro died at 91. SPORTS N.F.L.: The Buffalo Bills beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 30-21, handing the defending Super Bowl champions their first loss of the season. W.N.B.A.: The Dallas Wings won the No. 1 pick in next year's draft and a chance to select UConn's Paige Bueckers, considered to be the likely top choice. N.B.A.: The Cleveland Cavaliers achieved a blowout victory over the Charlotte Hornets. The Cavaliers became only the fourth team in NBA history to start a season with 15 straight wins. ARTS AND IDEAS Chona Kasinger for The New York Times Malört — which is made from neutral spirits, wormwood and sugar — is the unofficial liquor of Chicago. The drink is bitter, herbaceous and citrusy, like sucking dandelion juice through a straw made of car tires or biting a grapefruit like an apple. In the last decade, Malört has gone from being sold exclusively in Illinois to populating bars across 33 states. Some fans worry it is losing its roots. More on culture Clothes could become more expensive under Trump's proposed tariffs. Read more in The Cut. Seeing pregnant women undressed was once scandalous. Now they are visible all over advertising, Amanda Hess writes. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Simpson for The New York Times Bake cacio e pepe cheese puffs, with a bite of black pepper and Parmesan. Find the best travel credit card with these tips. Bring a gift to Thanksgiving dinner. Play PC games with a controller. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were biplane and plebeian. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. 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