Democrats could persuade Elon Musk to support their cause by persuading him that most of his customers are Democrats and acquiescing to some of his ideas, Anthony Scaramucci has suggested.

Speaking on his podcast The Rest is Politics US, Scaramucci, who was fired by Donald Trump just 10 days into the job as his White House communications director in 2017, said it was important to "woo" Musk back after a "cooling off period."

He added that Democrats could move to the centre and forgo more left-wing policies to "bring Elon Musk back into the fold as a prodigal son."

However, he said it was unlikely Democrats would do so.

Why It Matters

It would be a coup for Democrats if they could court the influence of the world's richest man once more.

What To Know

On the podcast, Scaramucci said: "If I were a Democrat I'd be trying to woo him back. I would tell him 'look your customers are primarily Democrats, let's give a cooling off period, come back into the party and help us and lets acknowledge some of the things that you are right about'".

"The Democrats are in sore need of a [former president Bill] Clinton-like experience," he continued. "A radical centrist who can come in, help reform the government, lay-off of the hard-left stuff that the country really doesn't like, go for the heartland which was your base."

Musk, the wealthiest secular individual in the world, donated $288 million to Trump's 2024 election campaign, public records show, before taking up an advisory role as the head of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to cut federal government spending and waste.

Investors warned Musk's government role had become a destraction and was harming the reputation and share price of of his companies. According to a 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100 survey, which measures public perceptions of the most visible companies in the U.S., Tesla plummeted 32 spots to No. 95, while SpaceX was unmoved at No. 86.

Musk he has since broken with the Trump administration, showing his opposition to Trump's spending bill—the so-called "big, beautiful bill"—and also opting to scale back his political involvement to focus on his companies.

Scaramucci's co-host, MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle who was standing in for Katty Kay, said Musk's time in DOGE had been "a missed opportunity" to streamline government. She added that Democrats could woo businesspeople including Musk if they accept the need for government reform in a more measured way.

"Or maybe there's too much wreckage between Musk and the Democratic Party to come back together," she added.

What People Are Saying

Scott Lucas, a professor in international politics at University College Dublin, told Newsweek wooing Musk would be: "a terrible idea" for the Democrats."

He continued: "As a party you want to show competence, you want to show the ability to respond to the pressing issues of the day and not just your base and if the issues of the day include the economy, include protecting the American system you don't bring in Musk who is in it not for the Democrats or not even for America but for his own ego."

"You might get a temporary bump from some people who follow Musk but are those the people that you really want if you're trying to build up longer term support?"

Speaking about Trump's spending bill, Elon Musk said on X, formerly Twitter:"I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."

In response, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in part: "Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn't change the president's opinion."

What Happens Next

Musk has said he is stepping away from politics to focus on his businesses.

But Vice President JD Vance said Musk will "remain a friend and an adviser" of Trump when Musk leaves DOGE.