"There are already individuals in Trump's circle who have stated that Elon Musk is behaving completely inappropriately and is taking over the territory surrounding the elected president. Therefore, they believe their task will be to push him aside in the near future," he said.
The former ambassador recalled, in particular, former White House strategist Stephen Bannon, who is now once again "close to Donald Trump."
"He said, 'I will bring the sanitizers.' So… Well, Elon Musk is a rather ambiguous character. Because he is an unconventional, extraordinary person. Everyone knows: he is heavily into drugs, specifically... marijuana, but very seriously. He has mentioned that he has had a certain illness since childhood, which, on one hand, possibly aids him in his unique business endeavors. On the other hand, an illness cannot be helpful," emphasized Chaly.
In his opinion, Musk's need for smoking marijuana is "very serious."
"So I think Donald Trump will gradually, despite the comfort of being around Elon Musk simply as a personality (he likes winners), find reasons to distance himself. One reason: Elon Musk has more money than Donald Trump. That alone is a huge reason for Donald Trump to regard him with caution. [...] In America, this is all very open. It is not customary to ask how much someone earns, but if these individuals are well-known and wealthy, they are the center of attention," Chaly emphasized.
The former ambassador believes that both Musk and Trump enjoy public attention and know how to operate in such an environment, making them mentally very close, despite being from different generations.
"From a political standpoint, I think Elon Musk will gradually be pushed away from Donald Trump. Because his role now, as he presumably sees it, is not lower than that of a vice president. He has overshadowed [the actual vice president JD] Vance completely. There is no one else… The second person, in the view of Americans, after Donald Trump in this entire victorious camp – is Elon Musk. Well, what experienced politicians will tolerate that? I think in about six months, we will no longer see Elon Musk so closely," he stated.
Chaly also predicts that in a year, the department for government efficiency in the US (DOGE), initiated by Musk, will no longer exist.