Donald Trump would “muzzle” Elon Musk if he were not happy with his attacks towards the UK, according to a former aide.
The world’s richest man and the president-elect’s close ally has shaken Westminster as he repeatedly slammed the UK to his 210m followers on X in recent weeks.
Honing in on the grooming gang scandal, he called safeguarding minister Jess Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and said she should be jailed.
He has also described prime minister Keir Starmer as “evil”, criticised him for not supporting a second national inquiry into the gangs, and condemned his record on the matter as Director of Public Prosecutions.
The PM subsequently offered his strongest rebuttal to Musk yet, telling journalists on Monday: “Those who are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible are not interested in victims, they are interested in themselves.”
He added that a “line has been crossed” when it came to attacks on Phillips.
But Musk’s remarks have still alarmed some about the future of the UK’s relationship with the US, especially considering Trump has appointed the tech tycoon to be the joint-head of a new department tackling US government waste.
The president-elect has not yet spoken out about the headline-grabbing X posts from his ally.
And, according to his former ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, the fact Musk is still posting about it speaks volumes.
He told BBC Newsnight this week: “If Donald Trump were not fine with it, trust me, he would publicly and vociferously muzzle Elon Musk.”
“So he clearly is fine with what Elon Musk is saying.”
Asked if it could impact US-UK relations, Sondland said: “Not a bit.”
There are some suggestions of a strain between Musk and Trump already.
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman claimed this week that “Trump does complain a bit to people about how Musk is around a lot” and that the president-elect is “definitely bothered” by the nickname, “President Musk”.