Members of the liberal media have had plenty of opportunities to gnash their teeth over Donald Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, but particularly grating to them has been the presence of tech mogul Elon Musk in Trump’s inner circle, before and after election night.
Many of them made much of the fact that Musk was included in some of the family photos that were snapped at Mar-a-Lago that night.
“President-elect Trump pulled tech billionaire Elon Musk and his son into a family photo on election night,” The Hill reported Monday.
That scoop apparently came about as a result of a YouTube video log, or vlog, posted by Kai Trump, the president-elect’s 18-year-old granddaughter, who has previously been in the spotlight during this campaign and even spoke at the Republican National Convention.
As different family groups cozied up for photos, Trump called his fellow billionaire over to join in.
“We have to get Elon with his boy,” Trump called out. “Gorgeous, perfect boy.”
Musk, carrying his toddler son X Æ A-Xii (or “X” for short), joined the group of Trump kids and grandkids.
The snapshots that resulted from Trump’s friendly gesture sparked a new wave of nervous speculation among left-leaning journalists.
“[T]he billionaire’s inclusion in such a high-profile family photo suggests his influence may be felt in unexpected ways in the coming years,” Newsweek observed.
CNN contributor Ana Navarro noted the absence of Melania Trump in the photo and quipped, “Elon Musk seems to be everywhere at all times. He’s like, secretary of everything, and at the same time, he’s like [the] first lady,” according to the U.K. Mirror.
MAGA fans on social media, however, signaled their hearty approval of the friendship.
“Elon has officially been adopted as a member of the Trump family, he’s in the family portrait now!!” one posted. Several others made similar remarks.
Elon has officially been adopted as a member of the Trump family, he’s in the family portrait now!! MAGA AND MAHA pic.twitter.com/h9yz8Y5MQv
— Matt Couch (@RealMattCouch) November 9, 2024
On Tuesday, Trump announced the appointment of Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head a new Department of Government Efficiency, saying the two will work together to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”