President Donald Trump has responded to claims suggesting that he has “ceded the presidency” to billionaire Elon Musk, who has assumed a significant role in the transition of the president-elect into the White House.
During a speech in Arizona on Sunday, Trump made remarks just days after the owner of Tesla and SpaceX, alongside the president-elect, intervened to derail a budget bill that had been negotiated in Congress.
The incident marks another occasion where Musk has assumed an unusually prominent position in the forthcoming Trump administration, drawing criticism from Democrats as well as factions within Trump’s own Republican party.
In a direct response to the criticisms he faced, Trump offered praise for Musk, stating emphatically, “And no, he’s not taking the presidency.”
Trump has labeled the claim that he has “ceded the presidency to Elon Musk” as yet another “hoax” propagated by his political adversaries.
In a subsequent remark, Trump pointed out that Musk cannot officially assume the presidency due to constitutional restrictions that prevent him from doing so.
“Do you understand the reasons he cannot assume the presidency?” During an event in Arizona, Trump posed a question to the crowd. “He was not born in this country.”
Elon Musk, originally from South Africa and recognized as the wealthiest individual globally by Forbes Magazine, emerged as a prominent supporter of Donald Trump during the lead-up to the election. He publicly endorsed the president-elect in July after an assassination attempt and reportedly contributed around $200 million to a Political Action Committee (PAC) backing Trump.
He has been appointed by Trump to head a proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is charged with implementing a drastic reduction in federal government spending.
The entity referred to as a “department” has been presented as an independent advisory panel rather than an official government agency, and its scope of authority remains unclear.
Intervention in budget deal
Trump made his remarks just one day after outgoing US President Joe Biden enacted a funding bill designed to prevent a government shutdown.
Days earlier, the previous bill negotiated by members of both parties in Congress was derailed when Trump expressed his opposition.
The president-elect argued that the bill failed to increase the debt ceiling, a political battle that Trump aimed to sidestep prior to his inauguration in January. The debt ceiling represents the borrowing limit set by the US Congress, establishing a cap on the amount of money the government is permitted to borrow in order to bridge the gap between its revenue and expenditures.
Musk expressed his opposition to the deal, criticizing it extensively in a series of tweets on the X social media platform, which he owns. He committed to providing financial backing for primary challenges against lawmakers who endorsed the initial legislation.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson confirmed to US media that he had phone conversations with both Trump and Musk during the renegotiation of a new bill.
The final bill, which allocates funding for the US government at the current rate until March 14, has removed several provisions that faced opposition from both Trump and Musk. The final version, however, did not increase the debt ceiling, facing opposition from a group of Republican lawmakers.
In an interview with CNN, Republican lawmaker Rich McCormick remarked that Musk’s involvement demonstrated “he has influence and he’ll put pressure on us to do whatever he thinks the right thing is for him.”
In a recent interview on CBS, Representative Tony Gonzales expressed a notable sentiment among some Republicans, stating that it “feels like Elon Musk is our prime minister.”
During an appearance on CNN, Senator Bill Hagerty commended Musk for his involvement in negotiating the bill, while also countering the idea that the billionaire was influencing Trump’s decisions.
‘Highly concerning’
Musk’s frequent appearances with Trump in the lead-up to the latter’s inauguration on January 20 have raised concerns among Democrats, extending beyond the recent budget deal.
A billionaire was present on the call during the conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his election victory. He attended recent meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in New York.
Social media memes depicting Trump in subservient positions to Musk in various scenarios have sparked significant criticism.
In the aftermath of last week’s budget negotiations, multiple Democrats have leveled accusations against Musk, claiming he intervened to further his own interests.
Critics highlighted his backing for the elimination of a clause in the initial legislation that might have restricted the functioning of his enterprises in China.
Representative Rosa DeLauro expressed serious concern in a letter to congressional leaders on Friday, stating, “It is extremely alarming that House Republican leadership, at the urging of an unelected billionaire, scrapped a bipartisan, bicameral negotiated funding deal that included this critical provision to protect American jobs and critical capabilities.”
