““He will not become president”: Trump spoke about the rise of Elon Musk’s political influenceDonald Trump denied the suggestion of a “usurpation” of power by Elon Musk after a week of political confrontations. Musk actively opposed the original government funding bill, posting more than 100 objections.”, — write on: unn.ua
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Trump said the idea that he had “ceded the presidency” to Musk was a fiction, and that even if Musk wanted the job, he wouldn’t be able to get it because of the Constitution’s requirement that the president be a natural-born citizen. Musk was born in South Africa.
“No, he’s not going to be president, I’ll tell you that,” Trump said. “And I’m safe. You know why he can’t be? He wasn’t born in this country.”
Trump’s appearance at the conference followed a tense standoff in Washington last week that nearly led to a government shutdown.
According to the newspaper, “Trump and Musk effectively failed” the emergency spending measure proposed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, forcing lawmakers to find an acceptable alternative that would allow the government to operate in the hours before a possible shutdown.
Musk, who owns the social media site X, has posted more than 100 times his objections to the initial spending deal — a preview of how he might use his influence and megaphone to shape policy in Trump’s second term, the newspaper noted.
Democrats started calling him “President Musk” with derision. History shows that anyone who overshadows Trump or diverts attention from him does not stay in his orbit for long, the publication points out.
“However, Trump’s statements indicate that he does not want differences with Musk; at the moment, they have common interests. Musk spent more than 250 million dollars to help Trump convert,” the newspaper writes.
Speakers at the conference played down any friction between Musk and Trump.
In a speech Thursday night, Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s eldest son, said: “You see what the media is trying to do to sever my father’s relationship with Elon. They’re trying to cause that rift to stop these guys from doing what they’re going to do their best and we can’t let that happen.”
Another speaker, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, D-Oklahoma, told NBC News that Musk has an important role to play in helping eliminate government waste.
“We’re bringing in a private-sector consultant to take a different look at what we’re spending money on,” Mullin said.
As for Musk’s use of his social media platform, Mullin said, “He has the right to do that. He’s still a private person. He’s no different.”
Trump brings chaos back to Washington by trying to derail budget deal with Musk’s support – APDecember 19 2024, 07:16 • 14763 views