During remarks at the Turning Point USA “America Fest” event in Phoenix, Arizona, President-elect Donald Trump dismissed claims by Democratic leaders that tech mogul Elon Musk is the “real leader” of the Republican Party.
“He’s not taking the presidency,” Trump told the crowd on Sunday. “I like having smart people. You know, they’re on a new kick. Russia, Russia, Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine, all the different hoaxes. And the new one is ‘President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon Musk.’ No, no, that’s not happening, but Elon has done an amazing job. Isn’t it nice to have smart people that we could rely on?”
Trump then praised Musk’s work with Starlink and SpaceX before joking that he does not have to worry about the South African-born billionaire becoming president.
“So we want to thank him, but no, he’s not going to be president, that I can tell you,” Trump said. “And I’m safe. You know why he can’t be? He wasn’t born in this country.”
The “President Musk” Narrative
The controversy stems from recent Democratic commentary likening Musk to a shadow leader of the GOP. The label emerged after Musk spearheaded a vocal opposition to a stopgap spending measure last week, a stance that mirrored Trump’s own criticism.
“Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Musk posted Wednesday on X, his social media platform.
The spending measure, negotiated in part by Trump ally and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), faced backlash from conservative hardliners for not going far enough to curb federal expenditures.
Trump and Musk’s Alliance
Despite rejecting the notion of Musk as a rival, Trump praised the billionaire’s contributions to his campaign and the Republican Party. “He went to Pennsylvania, and he stayed — stayed up there for a month, and helped us to win that state, which we won by a lot,” Trump said, referring to Musk’s reported efforts to energize Republican voters in the battleground state.
Trump also highlighted Musk’s upcoming role in his administration. Last month, the president-elect announced that Musk, alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, would lead the newly formed “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE).
The “DOGE” Panel: A GOP Vision
DOGE aims to “slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures,” and “restructure federal agencies,” according to Trump. The panel will serve as an external advisory body working with the White House Office of Management and Budget.
“It will become, potentially, ‘The Manhattan Project’ of our time,” Trump said. The initiative, he added, reflects longstanding Republican ambitions to streamline federal operations and curtail government overreach.
Looking Ahead
While Democrats amplify the narrative of “President Musk,” Trump appears unperturbed, leveraging his alliance with Musk to bolster his administration’s reform agenda. The question remains whether Musk’s growing influence in GOP circles will redefine the party’s leadership dynamics—or simply cement his role as a high-profile advisor.
