Could Texans like Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, other have an influence in Trump’s administration?
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Donald Trump is set to become the 47th president of the United States, and he's got specific ties to Austin, and Texas at large, that arguably could have helped him get reelected.
As final vote counts flooded in across the country, Trump took the stage in Mar-a-Lago to address his supporters, giving Elon Musk a personal shout out. Joe Rogan was also thanked by UFC President and supporter Dana White, as he shared remarks declaring victory with Trump, calling Rogan, "mighty and powerful."
Trump wins the White House in a political comeback rooted in appeals to frustrated voters
Musk is one of the wealthiest men in the world, an entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla. Rogan is a well-known podcaster with millions of subscribers. Both based in Austin, Musk and Rogan endorsed Trump for president.
Rogan arguably had a major influence in helping Trump break through with younger male voters. Trump visited Austin just weeks before the election to make an appearance on Rogan's podcast.
"Working class young voters, and that's the audience and demographic that Joe Rogan reaches out to," Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edward's University said. "It really magnified Trump's message to people who might not otherwise hear it."
Trump appears on Joe Rogan podcast
Smith told KXAN he thinks Rogan and Musk will be "big players" in the Trump administration, because of their influence in his campaign.
"Elon Musk... was one of Trump's largest donors... instrumental to The Trump victory, and Trump is not going to forget that," Smith said. "[People] don't give money to a candidate without expecting something in return. That's how big money in politics works."
Brian Hughes, a Senior Trump Campaign Advisor, told NBC News in a statement that Trump did want Musk on some sort of commission during his second-term presidency.
"With Donald Trump being president, he might actually tap some Texans to move into his cabinet," Smith said. "We saw that in 2016 with Rick Perry."
As expected, most Texans voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller posted a photo together, saying they were in Mar-a-Lago on Election Night, supporting Trump.
After Sen. Ted Cruz secured a win in Texas' Senate race — with a margin wider than expected — Trump gave a nod to the outcome of the race that had the incumbent maintaining his seat.
"Texas obviously is going to be a big part of the Trump administration's policy," Smith said.
