Elon Musk, a billionaire, has emerged as a prominent cultural figure in recent years, particularly since acquiring X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which has grown in influence in sports media.
He has since entered politics as a member of Donald Trump’s cabinet, though it appears Trump is becoming increasingly frustrated with Musk.
During the election, Musk was a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, spending a significant amount of time with the president-elect and appearing to wield considerable power.
This week, however, Trump sent a stern message that may serve as a reminder to Musk of who truly wields power.
When the government funding bill failed on Wednesday after Musk openly criticized it as wasteful spending, many on both sides of the political spectrum saw it as evidence that Musk, rather than Trump, was in charge.
“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.
Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania wrote, “The leader of the GOP is Elon Musk.” “He’s now calling the shots.”
However, Trump does not appear pleased with this perception.
Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition, categorically denied 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 leads the Republican Party. Full stop.”
This statement clearly serves as a warning to Musk not to overextend his influence, and it sparked a flurry of reactions on social media.
“Haha, a Trump spokesperson actually admitted it. So it is bothering him,” one user wrote on Reddit.
“It’s like being on the Titanic and watching your two least favorite people fight as the ship sinks.” “We’re all going to die, but at least we’ll have some satisfaction on the way down,” another person said.
“People must keep up with the ‘President Musk’ talk. It sounds like a childish idea, but we’re talking about a narcissist who was most offended during the debates by the suggestion that his rallies are boring. He can’t take being slighted.
Also, Musk has not disputed the claims. He also has a massive ego, and he enjoys the attention. They will eventually clash. “We might as well speed up the process,” someone else suggested.
“The breakup memes will be glorious,” another user wrote.
“I learned in the Army that if you have to remind people that you’re in charge, you ain’t in charge,” joked someone else.
“I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Dems can absolutely manipulate Trump in their favor by appealing to his narcissism and ego,” another person added.
We’ll have to see if Musk takes this warning seriously or continues to assert his power.