Elon Musk stirred another media firestorm with an incendiary message on X, formerly Twitter, in which he hints that he may have a potential political role in the event of Donald Trump’s return to the presidency in 2024. The tweet contains a picture of himself seated behind a desk labeled “D.O.G.E.”-immediately decoded online as the “Department of Government Efficiency.”
Musk’s Cryptic Message
Immediately, the meme sparked a conversation when it was accompanied by the phrase, “Department of Government Efficiency.” Though Musk is never short of using memes and crypto references in jest, this post oozed something a bit larger, notably indicating Musk might be interested in having something to say toward the Trump administration’s plans for streamlining government operations.
Dogecoin Soars Following the Post
Anything Musk posts in regards to DOGE is incredibly influential, as he is very tied to the cryptocurrency. In less than an hour since the post, Dogecoin surged significantly and reached its 24-hour high. This cryptocurrency has yet to meet its peak reached earlier in the week.
The timing of Musk’s meme also coincides with Trump’s proposal for a government efficiency commission. Trump has vowed to implement such a commission, which would audit federal finances and performance while recommending sweeping reforms.
Will Musk Take a Government Role?
Adding fuel to the speculation, Musk retweeted a video of Trump discussing the commission, commenting “This is badly needed.” While Musk stopped short of confirming any official government role, Trump playfully suggested that Musk might head the proposed task force.
“Elon, because he is not very busy, has agreed to head that task force,” Trump said, humorously referencing Musk’s notoriously packed schedule.
Banshees aside, few really doubt that he is ultimately out to make money, but questions do remain about Musk’s true intentions. As the chief of Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, The Boring Company, xAI, and the X social platform, his current commitments are immense. He has also been embroiled in a number of high-profile spats and international controversies, further complicating any potential entry into the political arena.
Court Clears Musk of Doge Manipulation Claims
The latest: Musk won a legal battle last week, when a federal judge in a lawsuit against Musk and Tesla over allegedly operating a racketeering scheme to manipulate the Dogecoin market dismissed. The 2022 lawsuit class action alleged Musk’s tweets on social media gave the impression to investors that Dogecoin prices would not drop below a certain threshold.
The $86 billion class action had argued that Musk’s endorsements of Dogecoin were misleading. However, US District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein sided with Musk by calling his comments “aspirational and puffery,” rather than fraudulent statements.
The Road to November 2024
Whether Musk will actually work with Trump or take on a formal role in politics himself, remains to be seen as the 2024 election approaches. But for now, the meme stays a meme, though its reach has left the people speculating if there is more to Musk’s political future than meets the naked eye.
