On Wednesday, President Trump called on tech billionaire Elon Musk to self‑police his business ties amid a series of federal reforms. In a tense exchange with congressional aides, Trump stressed that any potential conflict of interest should see Musk recuse himself as government agencies face sweeping regulatory and budgetary changes.
While dismantling federal agencies, including the regulatory bodies that oversee SpaceX, Tesla, and X, tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk is taking charge of the Department of Government Efficiency, and the president claims he has no problem with Musk handling any conflicts of interest that may arise in his position, The Raw Story shares.
Democrats on Capitol Hill and government watchdogs have cast doubt on Musk’s integrity and criticized his multiple businesses, claiming a conflict of interest between his role as a “special government employee” and his different ventures. As government-wide budget cuts and the continuous cleansing of federal personnel continue, the alarms have become louder.
Sean Hannity of Fox News questioned Trump about possible “conflicts” that may develop with Musk’s companies.
What about his companies, Hannity wanted to know. What if he was to get a contract anyhow?
Trump shot back that he would not be allowed to do it.
“If he’s got a conflict, I mean, look, he’s in certain areas.”
With a laugh, Trump went on to remark, “I mean, I see this morning — I didn’t know, but I said, ‘Do the right thing,’ where they’re cutting way back on the electric vehicle subsidies. They’re cutting back. Not only are they cutting back —”
Hannity said, looking at Musk, they hurt you.
“Correct,” said Musk.
“You don’t care?” Trump attempted to continue speaking, but Hannity returned and interrupted, saying, “Well, he’s probably not happy with it. That would’ve been one thing he would’ve come to me and said, ‘Listen, you gotta do me a favor. This is crazy.'”
Since Musk did not oppose reductions to electric subsidies, Trump once again implied that he might self-regulate in terms of potential conflicts of interest, before speculating, “Maybe he does better if you cut back on the subsidies. Who knows?”
Hannity probed Musk further, asking, “And if it comes up how will you handle it?” after Musk adamantly denied ever having requested anything from Trump.
Prior to Musk’s response, Trump intervened.
Interjecting, Trump stated that the CEO of Tesla will not be participating.
According to Musk, he will step down from a position if a disagreement arises.
Trump also mentioned that Musk will not be involved in the event of a conflict. Even Musk even he wouldn’t be interested in that.
Then, with a sneer on his face, Musk continued, “And also I’m getting sort of a daily proctology exam here. You know it’s not like I’m going to be getting away with something in the dead of night here.”
As a last statement, Hannity used a phrase that is commonly used in Capitol Hill politics: “Welcome to D.C., if you want a friend get a dog.”
Trump explains that he’s empowered Elon Musk to police his own conflicts of interest and acknowledges that might work to his financial advantage pic.twitter.com/XocrKuzDUR
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 19, 2025
Luis Gochoco is a seasoned managing editor and writer with over a decade of experience covering politics, technology, gaming, and entertainment news. With a keen eye for breaking stories and in-depth analysis, he has established himself as a trusted voice in digital journalism. Luis is one of the key forces behind the success of GameNGuide, contributing to 12 million views through engaging and high-traffic content. He also played a pivotal role in generating 8 million views on International Business Times, shaping the platform’s technology and gaming coverage.
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