Liberal media shops and Democratic lawmakers have grasped onto a brand new speaking level because the incoming administration will get able to enter the White Home — Elon Musk is a “shadow” president, taking the reins from President-elect Donald Trump.
Home GOP leaders are working towards a backup plan after an preliminary bipartisan deal to keep away from a partial authorities shutdown was killed by conservative opposition led by Musk, Trump’s decide to co-chair his Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), alongside Vivek Ramaswamy.
“Your elected representatives have heard you and now the horrible invoice is lifeless. The voice of the folks has triumphed! VOX POPULI. VOX DEI,” Musk posted on X Wednesday.
A plethora of outstanding figures throughout the media then insinuated that Musk was pulling the strings inside Trump’s crew.
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BUTLER, PA – OCT. 5: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks with former president Donald Trump throughout a marketing campaign occasion on the Butler Farm Present, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. ((Picture by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Submit by way of Getty Photos))
“Elon Musk, the man who actually runs issues. He is not simply Trump’s co-president. I feel that is means too low a title,” MSNBC’s Chris Hayes stated throughout his Wednesday monologue. “He is the pinnacle dude in cost and Home Republicans actually know who they’re taking their marching orders from.”
Jen Psaki expressed an analogous sentiment on the community, suggesting that Musk could start to “outshine” Trump and inadvertently draw the scorn of the president-elect.
“Elon Musk is round Trump on a regular basis. He was in that image that you just referenced, that was on the Military-Navy recreation, creepily sort of proper over his shoulder. He appears to be residing at Mar-a-Lago. I do not know the way Trump feels about that. Possibly he is having fun with it presently. Will he nonetheless? And he is additionally getting credit score for having energy over Congress, over Trump. How does that sit with Trump? We all know from historical past, usually would not sit properly,” she stated.
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The women of ABC’s “The View” additionally waded into the conspiracy, with Whoopi Goldberg asking Thursday who actually is accountable for Trump’s circle. After Pleasure Behar urged that Musk and Vice President-elect JD Vance could also be colluding in opposition to Trump, Goldberg took it a step additional and joked the pair could also be conspiring to kill the incoming president.
“Hey, you already know who; avoid the stairways,” she stated as the group erupted in laughter.
CNN commentator David Axelrod highlighted competing visions between Musk and Trump concerning the spending invoice throughout a Wednesday look on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360.”
“What was complicated to me is Musk sends out one among his tweets, and he says nobody ought to do something till January twentieth, when Trump will get there; Trump sends out a tweet saying they should go a clear CR with a debt ceiling — elevating the debt ceiling as a result of … he would not wish to be blamed for it,” he stated. “So, they appear to be saying various things, and finally they’ll should get collectively and determine who the president is.”
President-elect Trump, left, tapped Elon Musk, proper, to co-chair his Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE). (Joe Raedle/Getty Photos/Marc Piasecki/Getty Photos)
“Morning Joe” co-anchor Willie Geist took the narrative additional on Thursday, claiming that present and former Republicans at the moment are referring to the incoming commander-in-chief as “Vice President Trump.”
“That isn’t going to take a seat properly,” Geist stated.
In a press release to Fox Information Digital, Trump-Vance Transition spokeswoman and incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt threw chilly water on the media speaking level.
“As quickly as President Trump launched his official stance on the CR, Republicans on Capitol Hill echoed his perspective. President Trump is the chief of the Republican Occasion. Full cease,” she stated.
A swathe of Democrats additionally indicated that they consider Musk is directing the Republican agenda.
“Apparently America elected Elon Musk President. Trump is simply his errand boy,” Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisc., wrote on Musk’s X.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., posted on Wednesday that it’s “clear who’s in cost” of the social gathering—and it is not Trump.
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Speaker Mike Johnson and Elon Musk have been at odds this week over a authorities spending invoice that would result in a authorities shutdown. (Jean Catuffe/GC Photos/Andrew Harnik/Getty Photos)
“Shadow President Elon Musk spent all day railing in opposition to Republicans’ CR, succeeded in killing the invoice, after which Trump determined to observe his lead,” she wrote on X.
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., echoed the declare later that night time, telling MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell that it was not Trump who requested for the spending invoice to be killed, however quite “President” Elon Musk.
Trump adamantly opposed the invoice on Wednesday by way of a collection of posts on Reality Social.
“Sounds just like the ridiculous and terribly costly Persevering with Decision, PLUS, is dying quick, however can anybody think about passing it with out both terminating or extending, the Debt Ceiling guillotine arising in June?” the incoming president requested. “Except the Democrats terminate or considerably prolong [the] Debt Ceiling now, I’ll struggle ‘until the tip. This can be a nasty TRAP set in place by the Radical Left Democrats!”
Fox Information’ Greg Wehner, Tyler Olson, Chad Pergram and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
