Donald Trump’s win will likely put two of his most powerful and visible allies, Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in positions where they will be able to enact sweeping changes across the federal government on issues ranging from vaccine accessibility to how businesses are regulated.
The Trump campaign has been cagey about specific roles for each and whether they would seek positions requiring Senate confirmation. But Republicans have regained a majority in the Senate — and it could grow — opening the possibility they’d get enough GOP votes.
At a press conference the day after the election, current Republican leader Mitch McConnell refused to answer a question from NOTUS on whether he would support confirming either man to the cabinet.
“I’m not going to get into that subject,” McConnell said.
“I’m not gonna get into that subject.”
— NOTUS (@NOTUSreports) November 6, 2024
Sen. Mitch McConnell declines to answer NOTUS’ @BanksTorrence when asked if he would support Elon Musk and RFK Jr. having cabinet positions. pic.twitter.com/F1ODGZkBsC
McConnell is stepping down from his leadership position, and the GOP will likely elect a new Senate leader when they return next week.
But Trump and his team were already discussing ways to have both Musk and Kennedy have powerful administration roles without Senate confirmation. Prior to the election, The Washington Post reported that the Trump transition team was working on a plan to install Kennedy as a White House czar overseeing the agencies that deal with health and food safety.
Musk has publicly aligned himself with Trump, campaigning on his behalf and donating at least $118 million to Trump’s campaign via his super PAC. Trump told Fox News last month that he would like Musk to be his “secretary of cost-cutting” — a role that does not currently exist. But Trump discussed creating a government efficiency commission he could appoint Musk to run.
While Musk’s and Kennedy’s policy interests differ, they overlap in their willingness to completely rewrite how the government regulates industries.
Kennedy’s stated policy goals have focused on fighting the chronic disease epidemic by doing everything from reworking government regulations targeting ultra-processed foods, which nutrition scientists agree can be harmful, to promoting unproven alternative and potentially dangerous therapies.
“FDA’s war on public health is about to end,” he posted on X in late October. “This includes its aggressive suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric therapies, chelating compounds, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and can’t be patented by Pharma. If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags.”
Kennedy is also well known for his anti-vaccine advocacy, and Trump and his campaign advisers said in the weeks leading up to the election that they would support his efforts to reevaluate whether vaccines are safe and should be on the market.
In an interview with NBC after the election, Kennedy said that vaccines would not be banned, but “people should have a choice.”
“I’m not going to take away anybody’s vaccines … if vaccines are working for somebody, I’m not going to take them away,” he said.
Other policy areas Kennedy has voiced interest in shaping are removing fluoride from U.S. water sources and promoting regenerative agriculture and small farms via the USDA.
Musk has pledged to use whatever role he is given in the Trump administration to reduce the scope of the federal government, saying during Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally that he wants to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget.
He may also play a role in international relations. Musk’s interest in policy shaping appears to include geopolitical issues like the war in Ukraine and U.S.-China relations. He has reportedly had phone calls with Vladimir Putin and has spoken positively about China’s position on Taiwan.
Musk also stands to benefit personally from Trump’s presidency through reduced regulations on his companies, lower tax rates and government contracts with his businesses such as SpaceX.
“Crushing defeat is coming for the oppressive, big government machine represented by the Kamala puppet,” Musk wrote on X the day before the election.
—
Margaret Manto and Torrence Banks are NOTUS reporters and Allbritton Journalism Institute fellows.