Trump declares Elon Musk is ‘not going to be president’ amid ongoing taunts over who’s really in charge
The IndependentSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy While Donald Trump still thinks his “first buddy” Elon Musk is a “great guy,” he wants to make it clear that only one man is calling the shots. “That’s not happening.” The president-elect’s snarky remark comes as Democrats have sought to drive a wedge between the world’s richest man and the notoriously thin-skinned Trump by highlighting Musk’s growing influence and describing him as the “real president.” The taunts have only grown following last week’s chaos on Capitol Hill after Musk raged against House Republicans’ original spending bill, prompting lawmakers to race against the clock to strike another deal to prevent the government from shutting down. Additionally, Rep. Tony Gonzales said on Sunday morning that “it feels” as if the DOGE leader “is our prime minister.” Towards the end of his lengthy address at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest on Sunday evening, Trump sent a message that while he considered Musk a “great guy,” there was a limit to his ascendency. “All the different hoaxes, and the new one is, ‘President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon Musk.’ No, no, that’s not happening.” He also made a point that regardless of how much influence people thought Musk had within the GOP and his incoming administration, there was one job that Musk absolutely couldn’t obtain.