President Trump returned to the Oval Office on Monday with more popular support than ever before, and powerful new allies such as Elon Musk.

With speculation swirling over Musk's role in the new administration, one GOP strategist is predicting the Tesla CEO will help Trump absorb backlash against some of his more controversial initiatives - such as those calling for the removal of government programs.

Some of Trump's first executive orders will target birthright citizenship, inflation, and the weaponization of justice by his predecessor Joe Biden.

Musk's role draws speculation

Trump is starting his second term with plentiful political capital, and at least two years of unified Republican control of Washington, giving him an incentive to move aggressively, GOP strategist John Thomas told The Sun.

"Trump realizes his political capital may wane very quickly,” Thomas said.

Trump's promised efforts to fire federal bureaucrats are certain to face backlash from the media, which will almost certainly portray reforms as crippling to the government. Potentially drastic spending cuts proposed by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency could collide with public opinion.

"When Trump has to make an unpopular cut or decision, he can have somebody with the business credibility of Elon Musk, saying ‘This is what we must do as a nation,’” Thomas said.

Because Musk is not a politician, he has latitude to be a "bad cop" for some of Trump's initiatives, Thomas said.

"I really think it’s the ultimate good cop, bad cop," he said. "And Musk has more flexibility than Trump in some ways to be a bad cop.”

“He lives and dies by the quarterly reports,” he said. “That’s much easier to navigate than an election."

"Manifest destiny"

Musk has been constantly by Trump's side since his miraculous re-election. While not formally part of the Trump administration, Musk's influence as a Trump adviser has led Democrats to gleefully predict an acrimonious blow-up between Trump and his so-called "shadow president."

Despite rumors of tensions, Trump and Musk have shared priorities in slashing government overregulation and pushing America to new frontiers, with Trump declaring a goal of putting humans on Mars in his inaugural address.

“We will pursue our Manifest Destiny into the stars,” Trump said.

Musk had a front row seat at Trump's inaugural ceremony on Monday, and the Tesla CEO later celebrated Trump's return as a triumph for the civilized world at a rally in the capital.

"It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured. Thanks to you," he said.

"We're going to have safe cities finally. Safe cities, secure borders, sensible spending. Basic stuff. And we're going to take those to Mars. I mean, Can you imagine? How awesome it will be. To have American astronauts plant the flag on another planet for the first time?" he said.