Elon Musk did not ask Sen. Todd Young to back Donald Trump’s embattled nominee for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, when they spoke on Sunday, according to two people briefed on the call, though the conversation appeared to smooth their relationship over.
“Senator Young and Mr. Musk had a great conversation on a number of subjects and policy areas where they have a shared interest, like DOGE,” a Young spokesperson told POLITICO.
Musk targeted the independent-minded Young of Indiana on Sunday, calling him a “deep state puppet” in a post on X before deleting it, saying later he stood “corrected.”
“Senator Young will be a great ally in restoring power to the people from the vast, unelected bureaucracy,” Musk posted.
Young has come under fire from MAGA figures for failing to endorse Trump in his second presidential bid — and more recently over his sharp questioning of Gabbard over her positions on Russia and refusing to call Edward Snowden a traitor.
Vice President JD Vance has spoken with Young about his concerns in recent days, according to one of the people familiar with their conversations and granted anonymity to discuss private meetings.
Musk has gone after Young’s priorities before, saying last August that his CHIPS and Science Act had “too many rules & requirements … that are slowing down progress.”
Young, who is not up for re-election until 2028, is one of only a few GOP senators who did not endorse Trump in 2024.
