President-elect Trump is expected to attend the launch of a SpaceX rocket in Texas Tuesday, sources familiar with the plans confirmed, the latest sign of Trump’s closeness to the company’s billionaire CEO Elon Musk.
The launch is scheduled for 5 p.m. EST, and will mark the sixth test launch of the company’s Starship rocket.
The New York Times first reported on Trump’s plans to attend the launch.
Trump and Musk have developed an increasingly close relationship in recent weeks. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of social platform X, endorsed Trump after a July assassination attempt and millions of dollars into a pro-Trump super PAC that helped with voter turnout efforts.
Since Election Day, Musk has been a near-constant presence at Trump’s side at a Mar-a-Lago. He has joined calls with foreign leaders, attended meetings in Washington, D.C., with the president-elect and offered input on Cabinet positions.
Musk also publicly weighed in on the ongoing fight over who Trump should pick as Treasury secretary over the weekend.
Trump has expressed fondness for Musk, who was also tapped to co-lead a new government efficiency department alongside entrepreneur and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. During his campaign rallies, he regularly brought up Musk and described watching a SpaceX launch where a pair of mechanical arms caught a detached booster rocket.
But some Republicans, including those close to Trump’s transition, have suggested the honeymoon between the two men may not last. They have argued Trump will grow tired of Musk inserting himself into decision-making and grabbing the spotlight, just as he has in the past when officials have outshined him.
