Jen Psaki discusses Donald Trump and Elon Musk on her MSNBC show.
President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly getting irritated over social media chatter that the real president is transphobic billionaire Elon Musk and Trump is merely Musk’s puppet. In fact, a Trump spokesperson recently clarified in a statement that Trump is the true leader of the Republican Party — the statement brought a knowing smirk to the face of former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Though congressional Republicans eventually secured funding that pleased Musk — partly by removing $190 million in child cancer research funds — congressional Democrats social media commenters began saying that Musk is really in control of the Republican-led Congress and the presidency, and Trump is just a servile figurehead. Social media commenters also posted AI-generated images showing Musk controlling as a Trump marionette puppet.
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It’s clear who’s in charge, and it’s not President-elect Donald Trump.
Shadow President Elon Musk spent all day railing against Republicans’ CR, succeeded in killing the bill, and then Trump decided to follow his lead. pic.twitter.com/feDiAXe8yp
Displeased with the criticism, Trump’s incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told the media, “As soon as President Trump released his official stance on the CR [continuing resolution], Republicans on Capitol Hill echoed his point of view. President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. Full stop.”
Trump also echoed Leavitt’s statement at the Turning Point USA conference in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday, stating, “No, he’s not taking the presidency. All the different hoaxes. The new one is that President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon Musk. No, no, that’s not happening.”
“No, he’s not going to be president, that I can tell you,” Trump continued. “And I’m safe. You know why he can’t be? He wasn’t born in this country.”
Trump was referring to the constitutional requirement that all U.S. presidents be natural born U.S. citizens. This technicality, of course, doesn’t stop presidents from being controlled by wealthy foreigners or foreign-born businessmen. (Musk was born in South Africa and stayed in the U.S. illegally after his legal immigration visa ended.)
In a recent installment of her MSNBC program, Psaki said, “Musk felt the need to go back on X and say it was, quote, the media who was trying to drive a wedge between him and Trump–also declaring it wouldn’t work.”
“A Trump spokesperson even felt the need to clarify that the actual president-elect is, in fact, the leader of the Republican Party. I promise you that’s not exactly a statement you want to have to make,” she noted, offering a wry smile after her comment.
Psaki isn’t the only one doubting Trump’s sense of security.
Bloomberg News recently wrote, “That Trump would be compelled to address Musk’s power is testimony to the unusual influence that the world’s richest man has displayed in a second Trump presidency that will not begin for another month.”
However, Donald Trump Jr. told the Turning Point conference, “You see what the media is trying to do to break up the relationship that my father has with Elon. They’re trying to cause that schism to prevent these guys doing what they’re going to do best, and we cannot allow that.”
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