Musk suggests to Trump to let public weigh in on who should lead Treasury

Associated Press Palm Beach: As President-elect Donald Trump makes a flurry of choices to fill out his incoming administration's Cabinet, the lobbying for key positions has been fierce behind closed doors and sometimes publicly. Now billionaire and key Trump ally Elon Musk is calling for more direct public input into the decision- making process for at least one top post the head of the Treasury Department. “Would be interesting to hear more people weigh in on this for @realDonaldTrump to consider feedback," Musk, who Trump has already tapped to co-lead a commission tasked with increasing government spending efficiency, posted Saturday on the X social media platform he owns.

Musk then used the rest of his post to become the first participant in the public poll he was proposing. He endorsed Howard Lutnick, the CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald and co-chair of Trump's transition team ahead of Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, over hedge fund manager Scott Bessent. Musk said in his post that “Bessent is a business- as-usual choice, whereas @howardlutnick will actually enact change." “Business-as-usual is driving America bankrupt, so we need change," he said. Both Lutnick and Bessent have been mentioned as possible picks to lead Treasury during Trump's administration. The president-elect has already announced many picks in recent days, including his choice for Secretary of State, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and attorney general, former Florida Rep . Matt Gaetz. But he still has other important slots to fill, including the heads of the Education and Labor Departments.