Fox News aired an awkward mic moment in which a producer appeared to express feelings live on air about Elon Musk gaining political power.
The coincidental comment came as host Bret Baier provided a late-night analysis just after 2 a.m. eastern time.
Fox News had said that former President Donald Trump was on his way to becoming the winner and started talking about what this means for the American power structure.
“You know, the question is what does the Republican Party look like now,” Baier said. “In your eyes it is a multiracial party, it is working class, and perhaps it is the future. I mean, it’s Elon Musk. It’s Joe Rogan and podcasts.”
A voice can be heard muttering “oh Lord” when Baier mentions Musk’s name.
The coincidental comment came as host Bret Baier provided a late-night analysis just after 2 a.m. eastern time
Musk went all in for the new president, attending his meeting in Butler, Pennsylvania in October wearing a MAGA hat.
He told the crowd that 2024 would be “the last election” if Trump did not win, posting the former president’s campaign on his social media platform X.
Pictured: Bret Baier, Fox News host
Trump has already said he plans to make Tesla billionaire Musk head of a new committee in charge of auditing the federal government.
He has not yet detailed how the body would function. The government already has watchdogs like the Office of Management and Budget, and investigators general at federal agencies.
But Trump has said the Tesla and SpaceX billionaire would head the committee.
Trump said he would try to decimate what he calls the “deep state” — federal employees he says are clandestinely pursuing their own agendas — through an executive order that would reclassify thousands of workers so they could be fired. That would probably be challenged in court.
He would crack down on federal whistleblowers, who are generally protected by law, and set up an independent body to “monitor” U.S. intelligence agencies.
Musk has been one of the biggest donors to Republican Party causes this election campaign and joined the former president’s watch party at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, on Tuesday evening.
Elon Musk and his son pictured at an election party for Donald Trump
Now Musk will benefit financially. His wealth will increase enormously by about $15 billion as Tesla shares skyrocketed during Trump’s election victory.
The electric car company’s shares rose nearly 15 percent to $289.44 in pre-market trading today, adding about $113 billion to its valuation.
This will boost the billionaire’s fortune by an estimated $15 billion if the share price maintains that value by the end of the day, thanks to his 12.8 percent stake in Tesla, The Telegraph reports.
Trump called Musk, who supported him during his presidential campaign, a “genius” in a victory speech.
“We have a new star, a star is born: Elon,” Trump said, marveling at Musk’s SpaceX rocket and the deployment of the Starlink satellite internet service during Hurricane Helene.
“He’s a great guy,” Trump said. “He’s a character, he’s a special guy, he’s a super genius.”
Investors welcomed the prospect of a Trump victory as Wall Street futures – bets on what the price of a stock will be at a later date – jumped as the former president looked set to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.
Musk shared a photo on his social media platform
The tech billionaire staunchly supported Trump during the campaign through America PAC, a political action committee that contributed tens of millions of dollars and distributed $1 million giveaways to registered voters in key states.
“Tesla shares are rising … because of its special ties with Donald Trump,” Andrea Tueni, an analyst at Saxobank, told AFP.
Trump, Tueni said, “owes him a lot.”
Investors are betting that their proximity “will yield something positive for Tesla,” Tueni added.