The Trump Administration

Loyalty Secures You a Voice

The landslide victory and re-election of former President Trump has already led to some interesting appointments in his upcoming administration. There was plenty of speculation about “who would make the cut,” but after several high-profile endorsements, it became clear who had the ear of the President-Elect as advisors.

Prominent figures in this circle include Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK), Vivek Ramaswamy, Joe Rogan, Patrick Bet-David, Dana White, Bill Ackman, Tucker Carlson, Tulsi Gabbard, and most notably, South African-born business tycoon Elon Musk. Musk’s influence grew significantly after he acquired Twitter and rebranded it as X. He focused on maintaining freedom of speech within legal boundaries, restoring many banned accounts, including Trump’s.

Back in the 2016 election, Trump effectively used social media to support his campaign against Hillary Clinton, leading to his victory. But in 2020, big platforms like Facebook and Twitter restricted his reach, while Twitter banned him outright. These actions, combined with unfavourable coverage by left-leaning media and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, hindered his re-election bid.

Everything changed on April 14, 2022, when Musk took over Twitter. He made radical changes, renaming the platform X, cutting the workforce, and reintroducing previously banned users, giving them a platform to speak freely once again.
Meanwhile, several pressing issues have troubled the American public, including rising inflation and housing costs, high energy prices, immigration concerns at the Southern border, debates over gender education and critical race theory in schools, perceived limits on free speech, and ongoing international conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. These issues have fuelled growing dissatisfaction with the Biden administration, alongside controversial tax policies that have unsettled businesses and investors.

Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, combined with these economic challenges, laid a solid foundation for Trump’s re-election campaign. Though there was still much work to do, the groundwork was set, and Trump needed the endorsement of influential business figures to advance his campaign.

The first significant endorsement came from Vivek Ramaswamy, who publicly supported Trump early in his campaign and later suspended his own presidential bid on January 16, 2024. Musk followed suit, endorsing Trump on July 13, 2024. After this, Musk interviewed Trump on X on August 12, 2024, and soon after, RFK suspended his campaign and threw his support behind Trump as well.

These endorsements were promising, but Trump still needed to amplify his message amidst legacy media’s unfavourable portrayal. Thus, he turned to alternative media and popular podcasts to reach millions. Notable appearances included:

The Lex Fridman Podcast
The Dan Bongino Show
Impaulsive with Logan Paul
The PBD Podcast with Patrick Bet-David
The Shawn Ryan Show
The Joe Rogan Experience

Joe Rogan, with the largest podcast audience, endorsed Trump on the eve of the election, further legitimising his re-election efforts. These appearances garnered Trump millions of views and improved how voters perceived him while broadcasting his messages unfiltered.

All these factors contributed to Trump achieving a landslide victory in the November 5, 2024, elections, elevating the profiles of influential supporters like Musk, Ramaswamy, and RFK.

As the new administration takes shape, Musk and Ramaswamy will lead the newly established “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)”, focusing on cost-cutting and government expenditures, while RFK will investigate healthcare matters, especially relating to the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

You might wonder why these individuals have suddenly gained prominence. The answer lies in Trump’s view on loyalty. In his world, loyalty secures you a voice, and sharing similar ideas and aspirations for the U.S. enhances trustworthiness.

Those who publicly endorsed Trump during his campaign are seen as loyal and capable of making a difference in his administration, likely increasing their power once he takes office in January 2025. Evidence of this is already visible in Musk’s recent comments about Italy’s migrant crisis, which upset Italian President Sergio Mattarella, as well as his public disagreements with Brazilian lawmakers over the “ban of X” and potential election interference surrounding the upcoming Brazilian elections in 2026. As Trump assumes control, we can expect similar incidents to continue and could even happen ever-more frequently.