Billionaire Elon Musk has become a significant cultural figure in recent years, particularly after acquiring X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which has grown influential in sports media. He has since entered the political arena as a member of Donald Trump’s cabinet, though it appears Trump may be growing frustrated with Musk.
During the election, Musk was a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, spending considerable time with the president-elect afterward and seemingly wielding notable influence.
This week, however, Trump issued a strong message that could serve as a reminder to Musk about who holds ultimate authority.
When the government funding bill failed on Wednesday after Musk openly criticized it as an example of wasteful spending, many across the political spectrum saw this as evidence that Musk—not Trump—was wielding true power.
“Yesterday was DOGE in action and it was the most refreshing thing I’ve seen since I’ve been here for 4 years,” Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia wrote on X.
“The leader of the GOP is Elon Musk,” Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania wrote. “He’s now calling the shots.”
However, Trump appears displeased with this perception.
Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition, flatly rejected the idea that Musk was in control.
“As soon as President Trump released his official stance on the CR, Republicans on Capitol Hill echoed his point of view,” Leavitt told Business Insider in a statement. “President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. Full stop.”
This statement clearly signals a warning to Musk not to push the boundaries too far, and it sparked a lot of reactions on social media.
“Haha, a Trump spokesperson actually acknowledged it. So it IS bothering him,” one person wrote on Reddit.
“People need to keep up with the ‘President Musk’ talk. It sounds like such a petulant idea, but we’re talking about a narcissist who was most triggered during the debates by the suggestion that his rallies are boring. He can’t handle being slighted. And notice, Musk hasn’t pushed back on the claims. He also has a massive ego, and he’s loving the attention. Eventually, they’re going to clash. We might as well speed up the process,” someone else added.
“This is like being on the Titanic and watching your two least favorite people get into a fight as the ship sinks. We’re all gonna die, but at least we’ll get a little satisfaction on the way down,” another person said.
“I learned in the Army that if you have to remind people that you’re in charge, you ain’t in charge,” someone else quipped.
“The breakup memes will be glorious,” another person wrote.
“I’ve this once and I’ll say it again. Dems can absolutely manipulate Trump in their favor if they appeal to his narcissism and ego,” someone else added.
We’ll have to see whether or not Musk heeds this warning from Trump or if he continues to try to hold influence.
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