Magats_Love_NHB
Let It Burn!
'Trump Is Not Calling the Shots': Lawmaker Floats Theory for Why 'Elon Musk Has Donald Trump in a Vise'
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) took a jab at President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday, suggesting that Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter), is now the real power behind the throne. Goldman theorized that Musk is pulling the strings and using Trump for his own financial gain...
dailyboulder.com
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) took a jab at President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday, suggesting that Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter), is now the real power behind the throne. Goldman theorized that Musk is pulling the strings and using Trump for his own financial gain, claiming that the tech mogul has the former president “in a vise” with the promise of a lucrative windfall.
Goldman’s comments came after a dramatic sequence of events in Congress, where Musk seemed to play a pivotal role in the fight over government funding. On Wednesday, Musk publicly condemned a continuing resolution designed to avert a government shutdown, tweeting against the bill in a fiery outburst. Trump followed suit, echoing Musk’s sentiments and urging the bill’s rejection. The move had immediate consequences: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) withdrew the measure, and the next day, a different bill, requiring a two-thirds vote, failed despite backing from both Musk and Trump.
Appearing on All In with Chris Hayes on MSNBC, Goldman argued that the current political landscape is being shaped not by elected officials, but by Musk, whose influence appears to far outweigh Trump’s at this point.
“I think we need to clarify one thing,” Goldman said. “It does seem there is only one president right now—and that’s Elon Musk. Musk has a very self-interested view of everything, including his own business interests. He has no experience running a government, but he spent nearly $300 million to help get Donald Trump elected.”
Goldman’s theory centered on Musk’s business interests, particularly his push to loosen restrictions on U.S. companies investing in China. Goldman speculated that Musk’s influence may extend to other financial ventures, including rumors that Musk plans to acquire or merge X with Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social—an acquisition that could potentially deliver a significant financial benefit to Trump.
“Elon Musk has Donald Trump in a vise,” Goldman declared. “And it’s very clear that Musk is now calling the shots. There’s no way Trump wasn’t aware of these negotiations for weeks. The fact that he would step in at the last minute and derail a bipartisan debt ceiling deal? That’s Musk at work.”
Goldman’s comments reflect growing frustration with what he views as Musk’s outsized influence over the Republican Party and government affairs. “We need to face reality,” Goldman continued. “Right now, we have President Elon Musk, and Trump? Maybe he’s the vice president. But vice presidents don’t do much, so that makes sense. He might be the chief of staff, but he’s not calling the shots.”
Goldman also alluded to Musk’s friendly relationship with China, mentioning Tesla’s large factory in Shanghai and Musk’s past praise of the Chinese Communist Party. On the 100th anniversary of the CCP’s founding, Musk lauded China’s “economic prosperity,” which critics argue reflects his broader business interests in the country.