Trump: "No Transfer of Presidency to Musk... That Won't Happen"

In the U.S. political scene, attention is focused on Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. His influence has grown to the point of derailing budget bills that have passed Congress. The Democratic Party has attacked Musk, claiming he wields influence as the 'de facto president,' while the Republican Party has defended Musk's actions as unproblematic.

President-elect Trump praised Musk at the 'America Fest 2024' event hosted by Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona, on the 22nd (local time), stating, "He is not taking the presidency," and adding, "I like having smart people around."

He mentioned that the Democrats have been spreading lies about him, saying, "The new lie is that 'President Trump has transferred the presidency to Elon Musk,' but no, no. That won't happen," he emphasized.

He continued, "He will not be president. That I can say. And I'm safe. Do you know why? He can't be president. He wasn't born in this country," he said.

Bill Hagerty, a senator from Tennessee and a close aide to President-elect Trump, responded to the Democrats' attacks, saying, "President Trump is a clear leader," and expressed gratitude for having such talent as Musk as an advisor.

On the other hand, Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey and once one of Trump's closest allies who became an anti-Trump figure, said in an ABC News interview, "Trump needs someone to blame when he thinks something is wrong, and if that target becomes Musk, their relationship ends. And no one knows how long that will take."

The fact that President-elect Trump felt the need to comment on Musk's power itself is seen as evidence of the extraordinary influence Musk has shown even a month before the launch of the Trump 2.0 administration.

Representative Tony Gonzales from Texas said, "We have a president, a vice president, and a speaker of the house. Elon Musk feels like our prime minister." Although the U.S. political system does not have a prime minister, it is interpreted as meaning Musk's influence is comparable.

Representative Gonzales agreed with the point that Musk is not an elected official but argued, "But he is influential, and I think a significant part of that influence reflects the voices of the people."

Yisong Ryeol, Hankyung.com reporter yisr0203@hankyung.com