Donald Trump has taken a swipe at his “first buddy” Elon Musk by claiming that he will “never be President”, dismissing any suggestion that he is being usurped by his billionaire ally.
Making it clear that there will be just one man calling the shots, Trump said that whilst Musk is a “great guy”, he is “not taking the presidency”.
“That’s not happening”, he said during a speech on Sunday night at the Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix.
The dig comes as critics have sought to drive a wedge between the President-elect and the world’s richest man, with some declaring the SpaceX founder “President Musk”.
Donald Trump has taken a swipe at Elon Musk by claiming that he will #never be President’
Reuters
Democratic lawmaker Dan Goldman added that Trump was merely the “chief of staff” to the billionaire.
A Republican congressman also compared Musk to a “prime minister” after Musk’s intervention helped derail a crucial government funding bill earlier this month.
“We have a president, we have a vice-president, we have a speaker. It feels like as if Elon Musk is our prime minister,” said Tony Gonzales, a Texas representative.
Another Republican, a Philadelphia representative, also told CNN: “Elon Musk proved that he is the real leader of the Republican Party, because over the course of about four or five or six hours, he tweeted nonstop against the deal that had been negotiated and agreed to by all sides.”
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‘That’s not happening’, he said during a speech on Sunday night at the Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix
Reuters
Speaking for over an hour at the conference in Phoenix at the weekend, Trump stated that even if Musk wanted to be President, he wouldn’t be able to run.
“No, he’s not going to be president, that I can tell you,” Trump told the crowd.
“And I’m safe. You know why he can’t be? He wasn’t born in this country,” he continued.
To become president, a person must be a natural-born American citizen. Musk was born in South Africa.
Musk’s influence over American politics was particularly emphasised when he posted over 100 times in opposition to a government funding bill, which was over 1,500 pages.
Musk was born in South Africa
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Trump stated that even if Musk wanted to be President, he wouldn’t be able to run
REUTERS
He called it “one of the worst bills ever written” and urged Republicans to shut down the government rather than support it.
Trump soon followed suit in his opposition to the bill, and it soon sank. Mike Johnson, the House speaker, then had to craft a smaller alternative measure.
Speaking on Trump’s diss, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said: “When you initially begin in that role, you have enormous influence.
“And he loves having you around, and he loves listening to you, and you’re the best thing in the world. It will always decline. And that’s what happens. And you’ll see it. It will happen with Elon Musk, too.”