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PBS News Hour

How Musk gained so much power in the Trump administration

Season 2025 Episode 51 | 10m 14s

President Trump has tasked Elon Musk with an enormous job of searching the federal government and rooting out inefficiencies and waste. But Musk’s initial, often chaotic, infiltration of various departments has set off alarm bells. It’s also put the tech entrepreneur at center stage of the conservative movement. William Brangham looks at the history of the man behind this effort.

Major corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by Consumer Cellular and Cunard Cruise Line. For a complete list of funders for the PBS NewsHour and PBS NewsHour weekend, click here.
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