Whether Elon Musk is the real “president,” merely the “prime minister” or just Donald Trump’s multibillionaire enforcer, he’s carving out an unprecedented role that could raise conflicts of interest for the new administration.
Musk’s role has raised concerns, with some lawmakers saying he’s essentially the one calling the shots, rather than Trump. “Thank God Elon Musk bought Twitter, because that’s the only way we’d even know what’s in this bill,” said Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty. “Every one of our offices was inundated with calls from our constituents” following Musk’s complaints about the bill being full of bloated spending, he added.
Some Republicans, such as Rep. Tony Gonzales, see Musk as an important figure in the new administration, saying, “We have a president, we have a vice president, we have a speaker, and it feels…as if Elon Musk is our prime minister.” Democrats, on the other hand, are trying to poke fun at Trump’s vanity, suggesting that even after winning a second term, he is still not as powerful as the South Africa-born tech mogul who he put in charge of slashing the size of government after the president-elect takes office.
The controversy has led to speculation about the nature of Musk’s role in the administration, with some seeing him as a hero to many Americans and others wondering how long Trump will tolerate his growing prominence. “This is a predictor of what’s likely to happen,” said Delaware Sen. Chris Coons. “We’re not just going to have President-elect Trump as a billionaire rage-tweeting at 4 a.m. We’re going to have Elon Musk also injecting instability into how we tackle very complicated and important issues for our country.”
Musk’s influence is likely to spread to foreign policy, with some worrying about conflicts of interest given his active presence in almost every country in the world. His Starlink internet service, for instance, is vital to Ukraine’s war effort following Russia’s illegal invasion over two years ago. Trump has vowed to quickly end the war when he takes office, and his early meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin could be shaped by Musk’s views on the topic.
The controversy has raised questions about how long Trump will tolerate Musk’s role in the administration and whether it will lead to conflicts of interest. “When you initially begin in that role, you have enormous influence,” said former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. “And [Musk] 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.”
