Elon Musk has accused the media and some political figures of trying to create conflict between him and President-elect Donald Trump. This came after questions arose about the relationship between the two powerful men, especially as Congress struggles to agree on budget plans to prevent a government shutdown.
Musk responded to a social media post by Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington. In her post, Jayapal suggested that Musk holds more power over Republicans than Trump himself, referring to Musk as the “shadow president.
She claimed that Musk spent an entire day opposing a Republican spending bill and succeeded in getting it blocked. According to her, Trump later followed Musk’s lead, showing that Musk might have more influence than the president-elect. Jayapal’s post included an image of Musk sitting in the Oval Office to emphasize her point.
Musk replied to this claim, saying the aim of such statements is to create tension between him and Trump. He dismissed these attempts, saying they would fail. Musk also accused the media and political figures of working together to spread a narrative designed to drive a “wedge” between him and Trump. He referred to them as “political and media puppets” who follow orders and repeat the same message.
The situation comes amid chaos on Capitol Hill. Musk openly opposed a spending bill supported by House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana. This bill was meant to prevent a government shutdown but failed to pass, partially due to Musk’s criticism. A second attempt to pass a bill, this time supported by both Musk and Trump, also failed. This left lawmakers scrambling at the last minute to find a solution, raising concerns about Musk’s growing influence in politics.
Many Democrats are now questioning whether Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur, is using his influence to shape Republican decisions and policies. They argue that his opposition to the initial bill shows he may have more control over the party than Trump, highlighting a growing concern about the power dynamics between these two figures. Meanwhile, Musk insists that he remains loyal to Trump and that any attempts to divide them will not succeed.
