Welcome to The Beat. I'm Katie Fang in for Ari Melburgh. We've got lots to get to tonight.

We're going to look at Barack Obama's new advice for preserving democracy and the fierce debate

about whether Joe Biden should issue preemptive pardons to protect those that are on Trump's

enemies list. But we start tonight with the unprecedented influence that billionaires,

that's with a B, now exercise in American politics. Currently, Donald Trump is building

the wealthiest cabinet in history, raising new concerns about whether they're going to work

for the American people or for their own bottom lines.

And now a new reporting on the money that Elon Musk, the world's richest man, spent in order to get Trump elected.

The New York Times reporting that Musk spent roughly $250 million in just the final months of the race, which mainly went to his super PAC and other various funds,

including his million-dollar lottery scheme. Like any good businessman, Musk probably expected

a decent return on his investment, and he's definitely getting it. Musk's stake in Space X has grown

by $60 billion in value since the election.

It's now the most valuable defense contractor in the country.

Musk was given a role outside, and I'll put that in quotes, of the government with this so-called

Doge or Doge panel. But inside the government, Trump is looking to add at least 10 billionaires to his administration.

If you combine the net worth of all of Trump's picks, include in Elon Musk and Vivek Ramoswamy,

they would be worth more than the GDP of hundreds of countries, including Finland, New Zealand, and Chile.

And with all of this newfound power, Republicans and the ultra-wealthy are now looking at cutting

the social safety net, which at least 70 million Americans rely on in some form.

Nothing is psychosanic.

Nothing.

They're going to put everything on the table.

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