Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary praised Elon Musk’s potential role in Donald Trump’s cabinet, claiming it advantageous for all parties involved.
O’Leary Ventures Chairman Kevin O’Leary, 70, has likened Tesla CEO Elon Musk to a “modern-day Bruce Wayne,” Batman’s alter ego. O’Leary’s endorsement of Musk comes just days after the billionaire endorsed Donald Trump.
On the other hand, Musk’s rival, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, reportedly informed Trump that he would not support the Democrats in the upcoming 2024 presidential election but has not expressed yet if he’s throwing support behind the former president.
Musk interviewed the Republican nominee on Spaces, X’s live audio platform. Kevin O’Leary declared himself a “huge fan” of Elon Musk on Tuesday’s “The Big Money Show.” The 70-year-old investor was responding to Musk’s recent interview with Trump.
O’Leary Says America Needs More ‘Elon Musks’
“Full disclosure: my son works for him and loves his job at Tesla. And I think that [Elon] ‘s a modern-day Bruce Wayne,” he continued. “If he got involved with government, it would be a good thing for everybody in America.”
Musk had a conversation with the former president for approximately two hours on Monday. The duo discussed topics pertinent to the impending US election, including opposing candidates Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz.
O’Leary described the 53-year-old business magnate as a direct, highly competent leader with a proven track record, suggesting that more people with similar qualities in government could improve the nation’s divided state.
The Tesla CEO spent about 2 hours speaking with Trump. Their wide-ranging conversation, after initially facing technical difficulties, eventually gained momentum. However, anti-Trump critics spared no effort to find fault in everything from Trump’s rhetoric to Musk’s questions.
According to a report by Fox Business, most of the headlines Musk criticised following the Trump X event were partisan opinion pieces. Moreover, even the posts Musk responded to featured a straightforward Fox News article highlighting the Harris campaign’s reaction to the Musk-Trump event.
“The guy’s a no BS guy,” O’Leary said. He’s very transparent and he really knows what he’s doing. He has executional skills. You may not like him, you may not like his communication styles, but look at what he’s accomplished.”
“If we could get more Elon Musk in the government, this country would not be in this situation it’s in, divided so much,” he added.
O’Leary Targets Walz’s Economic Record
O’Leary further noted that he did “some digging” about Tim Walz last week since he knew nothing about Harris’ VP pick. According to O’Leary, Walz is not a good manager. “If you look at his stewardship of his state, Minnesota, it’s been not good,” O’Leary explained.
O’Leary addressed accusations of partisanship to clarify his support for Musk. He also explained that his criticism of Walz stems from the former school teacher’s role in job reductions across various sectors. Walz is the 41st Governor of Minnesota. He was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
During his tenure, Walz has achieved a slew of significant milestones. For instance, his administration has implemented universal free school meals for students, safeguarded reproductive rights, enhanced voting protections, and set the stage for Minnesota to reach 100 percent clean electricity by 2040.
Moreover, he has reduced taxes for the middle class and expanded paid leave for workers across the state. Throughout his tenure as governor, Walz spared no effort in a bid to make Minnesota the premier state for raising a family, according to his bio on the official website of Minnesota.
“Look, people say, ‘Oh, you’re partisan, you’re partisan.’ No, I’m not. I’m looking at the track record of an individual who came into a state and wiped out job creation,” O’Leary continued. “He wiped out job creation in professional, in manufacturing, in accounting. In every subcategory you look at, those jobs moved to South Dakota, North Dakota.”
O’Leary stated that Minnesota’s job growth is primarily in government-funded sectors like healthcare and social services, while other industries are declining. He criticised the state’s tax policies, including a new 1% surcharge on top of existing taxes, which he believes is causing residents to leave the state in large numbers.
His critique of Minnesota’s economic landscape paints a stark picture of a state struggling to compete. The entrepreneur’s admiration for Elon Musk’s leadership style and business success has led him to suggest that having more people with similar qualities in government could significantly improve the nation’s overall progress.
