I can think of several reasons why the US public finds Trump more appealing. Trump is a US national born and bred, whilst Musk was born in South Africa and holds Canadian as well as US citizenship. Trump absolutely nails populist rhetoric, whilst Musk is nerdy and aloof. Trump describes himself as chosen by God and vows to bring religion back to America, whilst Musk is nuanced and cagey about religion. Trump has celeb certification with his appearances on The Apprentice and WWE, whilst Musk tends to avoid mainstream media.