‘It’s clear who’s in charge’: ‘VP’ Trump is roasted online following Elon Musk’s growing prominence in politics
I didn’t realize Elon Musk had been elected as president!
This past week, Congress voted on a continuing resolution bill, which included disaster funding. When it failed to pass, many were left frustrated, and a government shutdown loomed.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Representative Pramila Jayapal called Musk a “Shadow President” and posted two screenshots of tweets, the first being Musk saying the bill should not pass, and the other from Lawrence Jones stating later in the same day that he spoke with President-elect Donald Trump, who is “totally against it.”
Though all are allegations, it’s pretty obvious that it was Musk who helped in killing the CR bill early last week through his storm of furious tweets slamming the bill. So, the question remains: Why? How did that work, when all Musk’s biggest contribution so far for the upcoming presidency is that he is currently a billionaire?
Representative Dan Goldman also Tweeted about the situation, saying that the shutdown (that luckily did not happen) “belongs to President Musk, VP Trump, and House Republicans.”
It isn’t an isolated sentiment, either. After the election, it has become more apparent that not only is Musk insinuating himself in spaces he is not qualified for, he’s pulling all the strings for Trump–and Trump is letting him. Currently, all that he has ready for him is the committee position that Trump is creating for him, the Department of Government Efficiency, abbreviated DOGE after Musk’s favorite meme.
Did I miss where you can making decisions that affect the entire country without being an elected official with an actual government position? And where is JD Vance? Not that he is any better, but still. He was at least on the ticket. Trump continues to face backlash on the internet for jumping when Musk asks without saying “How high?” His priorities lie with people in his circle like Musk, though it is becoming more apparent that a rift may be growing between Trump and Musk among the online chatter.
And while there has been discontent among Republicans about Musk’s influence, they continue to listen to him. It does not seem like that will change come January, so if (or when) Musk joins the ranks of Trump’s other underqualified picks, we can expect more of this in the coming years. “President Musk and VP Trump are going to ruin this country,” a user posted. Prior to the election, this might have read as a worst-case scenario. Now, not so much.
However, even though Republicans are currently doing his bidding, they may not be for long. Rumors have been swirling that the dislike of Musk became public after he stopped the bill. Republicans listened, but it may end up being the first and last time that they do. He threw a huge wrench into their plans, after all. But considering Musk has next to no knowledge of how the government works, I would be surprised if his influence continues to be felt as strongly as it is now. Or maybe it’s just me trying to be optimistic about everything. Here’s to hoping for 2025’s first public “breakup”!
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