Politics

Musk Warns: Attacking Trump ‘Will Achieve Nothing’

(REUTERS/Bobby Yip)

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Billionaire CEO Elon Musk believes those who want to influence Donald Trump behavior should stop attacking the president and try to open channels of communication, he said during an interview with Gizmodo.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk attends a forum on startups in Hong Kong, China January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk attends a forum on startups in Hong Kong, China January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

The liberal Musk, who founded both Tesla Motors and SolarCity, believes Trump needs “more voices of reason” speaking to him, and fewer voices attacking him.

“Simply attacking him will achieve nothing,” Musk pointed out. “Are you aware of a single case where Trump bowed to protests or media attacks?”

Musk offered an endorsement of Trump secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson earlier in the week, saying the former Exxon CEO “has the potential to be an excellent Sec of State.”

“Rex is an exceptionally competent executive, understands geopolitics and knows how to win for his team. His team is now the USA,” he explained.

Musk doubled-down on that sentiment in his interview with Gizmodo.

“Tillerson obviously did a competent job running Exxon, one of the largest companies in the world. In that role, he was obligated to advance the cause of Exxon and did,” Musk said.

“In the Sec of State role, he is obligated to advance the cause of the US and I suspect he probably will.”

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