Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and a future Mara colonist, has tweeted support for Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State, Why would a businessman who has been vocal about the dangers of climate change get friendly with an Exxon oil baron? Musk explains that Tillerson believes global warming is a danger and has advocated a carbon tax. On the other hand as secretary of state, Tillerson would be advancing America’s interests as defined by President Donald Trump and those have little room for an over concern for climate change or support for a carbon tax.
Gizmodo believes that Musk has allowed himself to be domesticated by Team Trump and so he is acting like a loyal member. After all, like Obama before him, Trump can benefit Musk’s various business interests.
On the other hand, Musk can be very useful for Trump above and beyond endorsing cabinet picks who are going to be confirmed regardless. SpaceX will likely become a part of Trump’s space program, being part of the commercial side of an alliance between NASA and the private sector to start exploring space again. Musk can build all of the Falcon rockets, Tesla electric cars, lithium ion batteries, and solar panels he wants so long as he does so in America with American labor. Trump’s plan is to create as many manufacturing jobs in the United States as he can manage.
Musk will help him do that.
It is telling that captains of industry have to have political support to prosper. Musk’s alliance with President Obama led to NASA’s commercial crew program and fat contracts for SpaceX. The former president, in turn, not known for his friendliness to the private sector, could point to the one instance in which he supported it/
Now President Donald Trump wants to make America great again.
Musk is more than happy to help him do so, so long as he can make money doing so. If that prospect means that he has to make nice with a Texas oil man, considered the Devil by many of Musk’s Silicon Valley, then it is a small price to pay.