Trump Denies Ceding Presidency to Elon Musk Amid Influence Concerns

President-elect Donald Trump has publicly dismissed claims that he has “ceded the presidency” to billionaire Elon Musk, who has taken on a prominent role in Trump’s transition into the White House, Al Jazeera reports.

Trump’s remarks came during a rally in Arizona on Sunday, following weeks of scrutiny over Musk’s unusual influence in the incoming administration.

The controversy intensified after Musk, owner of Tesla and SpaceX, collaborated with President-elect Trump to derail a bipartisan budget bill recently negotiated in Congress. This action, coupled with Musk’s other visible engagements with Trump, has led to concerns from Democrats and some within the Republican party regarding the extent of Musk’s sway.

Addressing these criticisms directly, Trump acknowledged Musk’s support and stated, “And no, he’s not taking the presidency.” He further branded the idea that he had “ceded the presidency to Elon Musk” as a “hoax” perpetuated by his political adversaries. Trump later quipped that there was no risk of Musk taking over the presidency due to his constitutional ineligibility.

“You know why he can’t be [president]? He wasn’t born in this country.”

Musk, born in South Africa, has emerged as a major supporter of Trump, endorsing him after an assassination attempt and injecting an estimated $200 million into a pro-Trump PAC during the election cycle. Trump has tapped Musk to lead a proposed “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)”, envisioned as an independent advisory panel tasked with cutting government spending. However, the specifics of this panel’s role remain vague.

The political maneuvering around the budget bill has put Musk’s influence on full display. The bill, which initially garnered bipartisan support in Congress, was ultimately rejected due to opposition from Trump and Musk, mainly due to its failure to address the debt ceiling. Musk voiced his opposition on the social media platform X, which he owns, and vowed financial support to any primary challengers against lawmakers who backed the initial bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed he had spoken to both Trump and Musk during renegotiations of the bill.

The final funding bill, signed by outgoing President Biden, avoided a government shutdown by providing funding through March 14. While it removed several provisions opposed by Trump and Musk, it did not include an increase to the debt ceiling – a point of contention for some Republican legislators.

Republican lawmakers have expressed a range of opinions on Musk’s involvement. Representative Rich McCormick stated Musk “has influence and he’ll put pressure on us to do whatever he thinks the right thing is for him.” while Representative Tony Gonzales said he felt “like Elon Musk is our prime minister”. Senator Bill Hagerty defended Musk’s role in negotiations, asserting he was not dictating Trump’s actions.

Beyond the budget deal, Musk’s frequent presence with Trump has raised concerns. Musk participated in Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and has also been present at meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Democrats have raised concerns that Musk has been able to use his influence to remove a provision in the bill that could have impacted his businesses in China.

As Trump prepares to take office on January 20, Musk’s role is expected to continue to be a point of contention and discussion.