Can Elon Musk Become US President? What Donald Trump Said Amid Raging Debate | WATCH

Washington: Donald Trump and Elon Musk have been working as a team for this election with the businessman campaigning and cheerleading for the President-Elect. Recently, while responding to criticism, a question from the Democratic camp came up where it was asked whether Elon Musk can be the US President or not. Donald Trump directly addressed the question and said…

Can Elon Musk become US President? Trump Says…

On Democrats' criticism against Elon Musk for his extensive role and participation in the Trump administration and that he may in the future become the US President, Donald Trump has responded with a resounding no. On whether he will be ‘ceding the presidency to Musk’, Trump said, “And no, he's not taking the presidency.” He called this statement a ‘hoax’ pushed by the Opposition.

‘You Know Why He Can’t Be?': Trump on Musk' Possibility of Becoming President

While addressing a Republican conference in Arizona's Phoenix, Donald Trump not just refuted the possibility of Musk becoming the US President in the future but also gave a reason for his answer. Talking to the crowd he said, “You know why he can't be? He wasn't born in this country.”

Trump has long been accustomed to running his businesses, his campaigns and the White House as the clear No. 1. And he notably does not like to be outshone by lieutenants. In Musk, though, he has opted for an ally who has the same background and approach.

All About Trump's First Rally Speech as President-Elect in Arizona

President-elect Donald Trump came to Arizona on Sunday for his first rally speech since winning the November election. He was greeted by thousands of adoring supporters who confirmed his popularity across the conservative base. Trump attempted in his 75-minutes on stage to go beyond his core supporters. But he also employed his usual aggressiveness, including ratcheting up threats against Panama and sending a message to billionaire Elon Musk. Here are some takeaways from the speech: President-elect tests unity message alongside characteristic bombast Trump spoke for about 75 minutes, much of it a typical Donald Trump speech – plenty of quips about the U.S. being “ripped off” and more false assertions that he, not Democrat Joe Biden , won the 2020 presidential election. But Trump was nonetheless relaxed, relishing his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in November, especially prevailing in the popular vote after not getting the most votes in 2016 or 2020. He went so far as to offer talk of national unity — though with a sideways compliment to vanquished Democrats.

“We had no riots. We had no anything. It was a beautiful thing to watch,” Trump said. “They just said, We lost.' And we want to try bringing everybody together. We're going to try. We're going to really give it a shot.” Trump, who likes to say that his clear but close victory was a landslide, argued: “There's a spirit that we have now that we didn't have just a short while ago.” Trump adds Panama Canal to his international tough talk Besides his “Make America Great Again” motto, Trump's policy brand that resonates so strongly with his supporters is “America First.” It encapsulates his criticisms of foreign aid, certain U.S. military interventions overseas and his plans to impose sweeping tariffs on imported goods. He focused on a new target Sunday: the Panama Canal and Panama's government. Trump suggested he would try to regain control of the canal if Panama does not adjust passage fees that Trump insists are unfair. He said the U.S. is being “ripped off” and took a shot at 100-year-old former President Jimmy Carter for “foolishly” ceding control of canal during his one White House term almost a half century ago.

Trump Stopped Bipartisan Budget Deal with Musk's Help

The Democrats' statement about Musk's possibility of becoming President comes after President-elect Donald Trump delivered a likely death blow to bipartisan congressional budget negotiations, rejecting the measure as full of giveaways to Democrats following billionaire ally Elon Musk whipping up outrage towards the bill. Musk also cheered on Republican lawmakers who announced their opposition.

“Stop the steal of your tax dollars!” Musk wrote on his social media platform X as he dangled primary challenges against anyone who voted for the budget deal, a threat Trump later echoed in a post of his own. The episode showcased the growing political influence of Musk, whom Trump has selected alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to spearhead the Department of Government Efficiency, a nongovernmental task force formed to find ways to fire federal workers, cut programs and reduce regulations.

Impact of Musk and Trump's Relationship on Their Business and Politics Respectively

Musk’s attachment to Trump has created an alliance between America’s most powerful politician and its richest businessman - and roughly the same percentages of Americans have favorable views of each, according to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Experts are split on whether that overlap in public opinion is a good or bad thing for Musk’s businesses or for Trump’s politics. But it could have far-reaching effects in both realms.

Musk, whose net worth tops $400 billion, oversees six businesses while continuing to work closely with Trump: electric car manufacturer Tesla, the X social media platform, space technology company SpaceX, brain link company Neuralink, the startup xAI and tunneling operator The Boring Co. “Even though there’s a negative impact, in terms of potentially alienating some of their customers that might not be fans of Trump, the benefits far outweigh any negatives when it comes to having a right-hand seat next to Trump in the White House,” said Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities.

(Inputs from AP)