preferential treatment over whom? he had to sue for the right to even compete for launch contracts. he's gone through hell getting Boca chica through an environmental review, and he was only recently considered to be right of center. at best it could be argued that he received preferential treatment until he publicly politicized himself.

edit: He's also been shut out of the Biden administrations public initiatives on electric cars. an industry Tesla single-handedly created. ostensibly due to being non-union.