They could be called the “dynamic due” as President-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk sparked a campaign that led Trump back to the presidency and Musk in a never-seen-before role.
But, now, according to a report on Mediaite, things are not as happy as it seems.
It appears Trump is growing weary of Musk being present at all times as well as the media attention he’s gotten.
“One hundred percent Trump is annoyed,” per a Trump insider who worked on the 2024 campaign. “There’s a Chinese saying: ‘two tigers cannot live on one mountaintop.’”
Musk has been a top adviser for Trump and went in the campaign trail stumping for the GOP candidate. Musk also put his money where his mouth is by giving $150 million to Trump’s campaign effort and promoting him on X, formerly Twitter, which Trump owns.
One crack in the relationship came last week when Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy supported for foreign worker visas. This move did not please staunch MAGA supporters like Steve Bannon.
Trump allegedly fired back from the criticism by stripping the verification badges on X of Trump supporters, including conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer
Musk then cried foul on X with a post filled with foul language on Saturday.
“The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back and F*CK YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.”
In turn, Bannon called Musk a “toddler.”
Then, on Sunday, Susie Wiles, set to be Trump’s chief of staff, distributed a transition-wide memo on using social media.
In the memo, members of the incoming administration and transition were told they are not allowed to make comments on social media without prior approval from the incoming White House counsel.
Musk and Ramaswamy oversee a newly formed non-governmental agency focusing on government spending.
As people address the notion of Musk being so close to the presidency, Trump himself has addressed the issue.
“He’s not going to be president, that I can tell you,” Trump said about Musk. “You know why he can’t be [president]? He wasn’t born in this country.”
“There was likely an allure to it in the beginning but it seemed like it could go ugly,” a Trump insider said of the Trump/Musk alliance. “Trump is Trump. I think it’s just the way Trump is. Someone that is around that much and having influence would be a bother.”
“I mean the guy came in, gave a boatload of money, and wants to take over the place,” the insider said. The insider opined they don’t think Musk has “bad intentions,” but “you also can’t just inject a shadow president somewhere.”
One insider who worked on the 2024 campaign said Musk’s influence is not important as it seems.
“The media is portraying him as a co-president,” the person said. “Musk is a character actor. There is only one executive producer, one lead in this TV show, and that is Trump. Elon will have his role, his focuses, but he is meant to disrupt the status quo in Washington and Trump is weaponizing him.”
“The only one to move the MAGA movement is Trump,” the person continued. “Elon will be able to amplify the message.”
