On Thursday, Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump declared victory in the U.S. presidential election, drawing attention to the reaction from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who publicly supported him. As Trump’s win became apparent, Musk posted a digitally edited image on his social media, sparking interest.
On the day Trump announced his victory, Musk posted on X an edited photo of himself holding a sink in the White House’s Oval Office, accompanied by the caption, “Let that sink in.” The phrase “sink in” commonly means letting something be fully understood or realized.
This post evoked memories of Musk’s actions in 2023 when he entered Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters carrying a sink after acquiring the company. At that time, Musk shared a video of the incident on X with the same caption.
Since Musk’s previous sink stunt signaled his new role as Twitter’s owner, this recent post can be interpreted as alluding to a change in the White House’s occupancy from President Joe Biden to Trump. Reports indicate that Musk pledged $45 million per month from July to October of this year, totaling $180 million, in support of Trump’s campaign.
According to the U.S. Federal Election Commission, Musk’s contributions to Trump’s campaign during this election season amount to at least $132 million. Musk has also demonstrated enthusiasm in his campaign efforts by organizing a daily event offering a $1 million prize to encourage conservative voter turnout.
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index lists Musk’s net worth at $270.7 billion, making him the world’s wealthiest individual. In addition to his role as CEO of electric car company Tesla, Musk also leads SpaceX and serves as chairman of SolarCity, actively expanding his influence across various industries.
On Thursday, Trump celebrated his victory in the presidential race at the Palm Beach Convention Center in Florida, declaring his win before supporters. At the event, Trump praised Musk, saying, “Let me tell you, we have a new star,” and “A star has been born—Elon. He’s an amazing guy.”
Previously, Trump had promised that, if elected, he would establish a Government Efficiency Commission to reduce unnecessary regulations and would assign Musk to lead the initiative. With Trump’s return to office becoming a near certainty, global attention has focused on the implications of his presidency.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also congratulated Trump during a phone call on Thursday. Kim Tae Hyo, the First Deputy National Security Advisor, informed reporters at the Presidential Office in Yongsan that “a 12-minute phone call took place between President Yoon and Donald Trump from 7:59 a.m.” He added, “The two leaders agreed to meet soon to set a date and location.”
According to Deputy Advisor Kim, during the phone call, President Yoon and former President Trump discussed various issues, including trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, the South Korea-U.S. alliance, North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia, and the ongoing war.
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