Top Republican: My Love for Musk Really Is All About His Money

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu blasted the suggestion that Elon Musk’s government contracts might be a conflict of interest for his work in the White House—because he’s so rich that he’s immune to corruption.

Speaking to Dana Bash on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, the New Hampshire governor brushed aside concerns that Musk’s financial dealings with the government might impact how he approaches his new role as co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency.

“As much as people say, ‘Well Elon is a billionaire outsider,’ first, I don’t mind that they’re billionaires,” Sununu said.

“I like people that are successful. What’s the difference if they’re a billionaire or broke? I’d rather have someone successful. And I like that it’s an outsider, and an engineer, and not a politician.”

Bash noted, “He’s not that much of an outsider. In fact, one of the criticisms and the concerns is that he has billions of dollars tied up in government contracts. You don’t see a conflict of interest here?”

“Everyone has a conflict of interest at some level,” Sununu argued.

“But that’s a pretty big one,” Bash retorted.

The Republican— who decided not to run for reelection this year— then claimed that Musk “wasn’t doing it for the money” seeing as he’s already the richest man in the world, making him somehow more reliable than a poorer political implant.

“The guy’s worth 450 billion as of today and this month. So, I don’t think he’s doing it for the money. He’s doing it for the bigger project and the bigger vision of America. He doesn’t need the dollars, he really doesn’t. So, it’s not about ‘If I get involved in this I’ll get another little contract here or there.' That’s nothing to him,” he said.

“I like the fact that in a way he’s so rich he’s so removed from the potential financial influence of it.”

Sununu, who is term-limited as New Hampshire governor, was slightly optimistic in his version of Musk’s money: Forbes reports that the South African-born Tesla CEO is worth $436 billion as of Sunday morning when the interview took place.

Sununu’s comments were ripped online, including by Eric Columbus, an Obama administration appointee to the Department of Justice. “The world’s richest man got that way by not caring about money. I am very smart, put me on TV,” he quipped.

Since Musk entered Trump’s circle, critics have suggested that his heavy dependence on government contracts for his SpaceX ventures and tax breaks for Tesla mean that he could use his influence to bend federal government to his advantage.