Donald Trump revealed he was “searching for somebody smarter” to assist him during his presidency before he ultimately decided on working with Elon Musk, the wealthiest individual globally.
In an interview with Fox News this week, Trump discussed this decision alongside Musk, following the announcement that the SpaceX CEO had been selected to contribute to the ‘department of government efficiency’, commonly referred to as DOGE.
At the time of the announcement, Trump stated that Musk would operate from outside the government, providing “advice and guidance” aimed at helping his administration reduce government bureaucracy, cut unnecessary regulations, eliminate wasteful spending, and reorganize federal agencies.
Trump has now shared insights into how Musk was selected for this role, admitting that he initially explored other potential candidates.
During their conversation with Fox host Sean Hannity, it was noted that Trump “might not like” that Musk is wealthier than him.
In response, Trump quipped that was “why [he] became president” and then elaborated on how Musk was brought on board.
Trump remarked, “He’s great, you know I wanted to find somebody smarter than him. I searched all over, I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t find anyone smarter so we had – for the country. So we settled on this guy.”
Musk, taking Trump’s remark in stride, replied, “Well thanks for having me. I’m just trying to be useful here.”
This revelation from Trump coincides with a court filing from the White House that clarified Musk “has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself.”
Joshua Fisher, the director of the White House’s Office of Administration, submitted the declaration, which listed Musk’s title as “senior adviser to the president,” according to Politico.
In the earlier part of the interview, Trump mentioned his desire to work with someone “really smart” in relation to the country’s needs.
“He doesn’t talk about it – he’s actually a very good businessman,” Trump said, referring to Musk, and hinted that Musk plays a role in ensuring the implementation of Trump’s executive orders.
Trump elaborated, “This is probably true for all presidents, you write an executive order and you think it’s done. You send it out, it doesn’t get done, it doesn’t get implemented […] what he does and he takes it, and with his 100 geniuses […] he gets it done.”
When Hannity asked if Musk was effectively Trump’s “tech support,” Trump quickly corrected him, saying, “He’s much more than that.”