Trump's relationship with Musk is neither a political alliance nor a billionaires club. Both men, alongside the American people, believe in gutting the bloated bureaucracy, and Musk is the man to do it. The SpaceX CEO's record of efficiency at his own companies has even garnered support from Democrats and bureaucratic agencies, such as NASA, which wants him to get rid of the wasteful DEI programs plaguing what should be a merit-based agency.
This relationship is absolutely a quid pro quo, one that should frighten anyone who believes businessmen shouldn't regulate themselves. Even conservatve Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has warned about corporate-government intermingling, calling it a "disaster" due to the obvious conflicts of interest. Musk will undoubtedly strip the government of essential social programs while boosting his own business interests.
There is a 50% chance that SpaceX's Starship will carry a human to orbit by May 4, 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.