(NewsNation) — During an exclusive interview with NewsNation’s “CUOMO,” Errol Musk, father of billionaire Elon Musk, revealed what he thinks about his son’s collaboration with President Donald Trump and Republicans during the 2024 election, and the fact that he’s now become a key figure in the Trump administration.
Errol Musk laughed and defended his son against allegations of making a Nazi salute, calling the accusation “absolute nonsense” and “rubbish.”
While addressing a large crowd Monday at Capital One Arena, Musk thanked attendees for helping to elect Trump. He grabbed the left side of his chest with his right hand and extended his arm at a raised angle. Musk turned around and made the gesture a second time. “My heart goes out to you,” he said.
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Responding to criticism of the stage gesture, Errol Musk pointed out that other politicians have used similar hand signals without controversy.
Elon Musk, widely regarded as the world’s richest man with a net worth exceeding $400 billion, has made his mark on space, technology and politics.
The elder Musk talked about his own political history, noting he was twice a parliamentary candidate for a party opposing apartheid in South Africa. He also revealed a family connection to the Jewish community through his grandfather.
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Elon changed after Biden snubbed him, father Errol Musk says
Errol Musk detailed his son’s political transformation, highlighting a shift from supporting Democrats to aligning with Trump. He attributed this change to former President Joe Biden’s perceived slight of not inviting Tesla to a White House electric vehicle event in 2021.
“He started changing when Biden invited all the electric car manufacturers to the White House in 2021 but didn’t invite Tesla. Tesla built a million cars, and the other five manufacturers built about 26 and hadn’t even sold one,” Errol Musk told NewsNation.
“Elon couldn’t understand that. He started calling Biden a lunatic and the government ‘loony,'” Errol Musk said.
Errol Musk recounted a 2016 incident in which Elon and his brother were upset by their father’s public support for Trump. He suggested Elon’s current alignment with Trump stems from feeling marginalized by the Democratic administration.
The tech billionaire is now leading Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), which is expected to focus on reducing government spending and regulations and has already secured a White House email address.
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After co-founding and selling PayPal, Musk launched SpaceX, which now dominates the reusable rocket industry. He later was an early investor in Tesla, manufacturing millions of electric vehicles, and acquired Twitter, where his influence grew.
‘We are very happy with’ Elon, Errol Musk says
Errol Musk said he was “very happy” with Elon, and adds that his children have “done well in their fields.”
He said Elon has “broken the mold” to some extent, but the family is not “sitting back” and would “like to see more” from him.
