Billionaire Elon Musk has emerged as a prominent cultural figure in recent years, especially after acquiring X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which has become influential in sports media. He has since stepped into politics as a member of Donald Trump’s cabinet, but it sounds like Trump might be getting a little frustrated with Musk.
During the election, Elon Musk was a strong supporter of Donald Trump and he has spent a significant amount of time with the president-elect following the election, seeming to have quite a bit of influence.
But this week, Trump sent a pretty brutal message that could serve as a warning to Musk to remind him who is in charge.
When the government funding bill failed on Wednesday after Elon Musk publicly trashed the bill as an example of wasteful spending, many on both sides of the political spectrum saw it as a sign that Musk was the one who really held power – not Trump.
“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 does not seem happy with that viewpoint.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition, outright disputed the notion that Musk was the one calling the shots.
“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.”
Clearly, this statement serves as a warning for Musk not to overstep too much.
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