What Do People Mean by "President Musk and Vice President Trump"?

When Donald Trump threw his hat into the ring for the 47th presidency of the United States, he brought along J.D. Vance as his running mate for vice president. However, since appointing Elon Musk as head of the Department of Government Efficiency in November 2024, the dynamic has shifted dramatically. Elon now appears inseparable from Trump, with the two frequently photographed together at various events.

This growing connection has fueled some wild rumors suggesting that Elon's influence in politics might be stronger than initially assumed — so much so that there’s chatter about a potential "President Musk and Vice President Trump" scenario. It means exactly what it sounds like, and we’ll break down how this unexpected pairing has gained traction online.

It’s being suggested that Trump has essentially taken a back seat, with Elon now at the helm, holding significant influence over government decisions that directly impact the American people. This has led to the idea that Musk is effectively the "president," while Trump is just the "vice president." Here's why this is being said.

On Dec. 18, 2024, Trump and Vance went into critical overdrive, opposing a deal that would fund the federal government until March 14, just days before a potential government shutdown, according to CNN.

The duo argued that the bill prioritized Democratic issues and further jeopardized the U.S. debt limit. In their statement, Trump and Vance said, "Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief, and set our country up for success in 2025," adding, "The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country."

Elon was aligned with Trump and Vance, taking to X (formerly Twitter) the same day with a short video urging the reduction of federal spending. "We have to reduce federal spending. There's no way to make up for it other than reducing the federal spending," Musk said, emphasizing a crucial principle: "All federal spending is taxation because what the federal government doesn’t receive in direct revenue, they make up for in inflation."

While it’s clear Elon is taking his potential role in Trump’s administration seriously, Rep. Andy Barr shared that after the Trump, Vance, and Elon's comments about the bill, the "phone was ringing off the hook" at his office, according to a post on X shared by Chad Pergram.

Why, you ask? "Because they [people] were reading the tweets, the X [posts] from Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, and they were telling me that they were, that they were listening to them. This shows the influence that President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy have in this process before they're even officially in office." Or, in some people's eyes, Elon's influence in particular.

Given how much time they’re spending together and how their visions align, it’s no wonder people are joking that Trump will assume the role as vice president and Elon will run the show as president.