Ford CEO believes Trump and Musk want to “boost” the US auto industry

President-elect Trump may still have some time to go before entering the Oval Office, but he and his team are already starting to make an impact on business leaders. Ford Motor Company Chairman Bill Ford, whose great-grandfather Henry Ford founded the iconic car American automobile giantTrump and Elon Musk are believed to be looking to help the industry.

“(Trump) is very aware of the importance of strong American industry. He doesn’t just want to keep it strong, he wants to actually strengthen it from here.” Ford told reporters At the Detroit Auto Show.

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Ford added that Trump is not only focused on promoting automakers, but also aims to “help people in the industry. He cares very much about the people who work in factories.”

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When addressing Trump’s close relationship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Ford said he was not overly concerned that it would hurt the electric car company’s competitors. In fact, Ford hopes Musk’s position will be the same Automakers will benefit.

“We agree on a lot of different things,” Ford said, referring to Musk.

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In his first term, Trump clashed with the US auto industry over regulations, trade agreements and tariffs. It is noteworthy that Ford admitted that his relationship with Trump occurred during the then president’s first term “It had its ups and downs.” However, after speaking with Trump “for a very long time,” Ford expressed optimism about the president-elect’s approach to the auto industry in his second term.

“I feel very confident that in the future, Ford will have a voice and a seat at the table,” Ford said.

Axios and Bloomberg contributed to this report.