Trump Denies Claims Elon Musk Is the Power Behind His Presidency
International news section 23-12-2024
Criticism Grows Over Musk’s Role in Budget Talks and Transition Team.
President-elect Donald Trump has dismissed allegations suggesting he has handed significant power to billionaire Elon Musk during his transition into the White House. The claims have emerged amid scrutiny over Musk’s prominent involvement in Trump’s administration planning and recent federal budget negotiations.
Addressing a crowd in Arizona on Sunday, Trump rejected accusations that he had “ceded the presidency” to Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. The comments followed Musk’s participation in blocking a bipartisan budget bill in Congress alongside Trump. The incident is the latest to spark criticism, even from within Trump’s own Republican Party, over Musk’s influence.
Trump praised Musk as a capable figure while emphasizing, “No, he’s not taking the presidency.” He characterized the allegations as a political smear, calling them yet another “hoax” propagated by his opponents.
In a lighter moment, Trump joked about the constitutional impossibility of Musk assuming the presidency. “You know why he can’t be president?” Trump asked. “He wasn’t born in this country.” Musk, originally from South Africa, has become a vocal Trump supporter, contributing an estimated $200 million to a Political Action Committee (PAC) aligned with the president-elect.
Musk has also been chosen to head a proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new advisory body aimed at cutting federal spending. Despite its ambitious mandate, the group is not an official government entity, and its scope remains vague.
Trump’s remarks came a day after outgoing President Joe Biden signed a stopgap funding bill to prevent a government shutdown. Earlier, Trump had derailed a bipartisan proposal, arguing it failed to address the debt ceiling—an issue he wants resolved before his January inauguration.
Musk echoed Trump’s opposition to the bill, expressing his discontent through a flurry of posts on X, the social media platform he owns. Musk even pledged to fund campaigns against lawmakers who supported the original bill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson later confirmed he consulted both Trump and Musk during renegotiations. The final bill extended government funding until mid-March but excluded provisions opposed by Trump and Musk, including any adjustment to the debt ceiling.
Some Republican lawmakers welcomed Musk’s involvement. Congressman Tony Gonzales likened Musk to a “prime minister,” while Senator Bill Hagerty defended his contributions to the process, denying that Musk was controlling Trump’s decisions. However, other Republicans expressed concerns about Musk’s influence.
Democratic Concerns Over Musk’s Influence
Musk’s close proximity to Trump during the transition period has alarmed Democrats. He joined Trump in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and attended meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Memes mocking Trump’s perceived deference to Musk have circulated widely online, fueling bipartisan criticism. Some Democrats have also accused Musk of using his position to safeguard his business interests, particularly in China.
Representative Rosa DeLauro criticized the removal of provisions from the budget bill that could have impacted Musk’s Chinese operations. In a letter to congressional leaders, she called Musk’s influence “extremely alarming” and warned it risked undermining bipartisan agreements designed to protect American jobs.
The debate over Musk’s role in Trump’s administration is likely to persist as the president-elect prepares to take office on January 20.
