Americans who were already concerned about Elon Musk’s power were left further unsettled after he gave a press conference in the Oval Office as if he truly were the President rather than Donald Trump.
Concerns that Musk is the real person in charge have persisted since the U.S. Presidential Election. Once the election was called for Trump, Musk parked himself next to the president-elect and has not left since. Leading up to the inauguration, Musk allegedly moved onto Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property to have unfettered access to the president-elect. After the inauguration, he quickly took up office space in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, a mere stone’s throw away from the Oval Office. Meanwhile, through his unofficial DOGE department, he has been calling the shots on what departments to dismantle and funds to cut. Trump has given him a likely illegal level of power and access to the government with no oversight, as his Press Secretary noted Musk would police himself.
Given the concerns over his power, it didn’t sit right with Americans to see Musk take over an Oval Office press conference while Trump remained seated and quiet.
Elon Musk’s Oval Office press conference raises eyebrows
Recently, Trump invited the press into the Oval Office to view his signing of an Executive Order expanding Musk’s power, including his authority to drastically cut the federal workforce. However, Americans were surprised to see Musk there with him. The Tesla CEO showed little respect for the President’s official working space, as he was dressed in casual attire and brought his young son into the press conference, who interrupted multiple times.
Musk remained on his feet for the conference as he eagerly began taking questions from the press. He ultimately answered more questions and spoke more than Trump. For his part, Trump remained seated and hunched over the Resolute desk. For many, the image the pair presented didn’t sit quite right. Musk looked at home in the Oval Office, disregarding the dress code and bringing in his son while taking over the interview. Photos from the event show Trump occasionally looking completely unengaged in the conversation as Musk talked enthusiastically to the press. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell called the scene “the most powerless image of a President of the United States ever created by a camera.”
On social media, Americans slammed Musk’s demonstration of power at that conference. This renewed the question, “Who voted for Elon?”
While it has been said many times before, the situation certainly seems to warrant a reminder that Musk is not the president. No one voted for him, and he wasn’t elected to any government position. The amount of power he has as a private citizen should not be possible in a democracy. Hence, it’s unclear why he’s walking about the Oval Office like he owns it and taking over press conferences while Trump looks on.
Published: Feb 12, 2025 05:00 pm