Elon Musk is shaping up to be a super influential figure in the new Trump administration. He is going to be running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is tasked with cutting government bureaucracy and spending. Plus, he is very close to Donald Trump and seems able to influence the new president on all sorts of issues. What should we make of Musk’s new political power? Start Here with Sandra Gathmann weighs up the pros and cons.

This episode features:

Thomas Gift | Director of the Centre on US Politics, University College London

Vittoria Elliott | Platforms and Power Reporter, Wired

Matthew Bartlett | Republican strategist & former Trump administration official