Trump Dismisses Idea of Musk as President: ‘Not Happening’

Donald Trump firmly rejected the idea of Elon Musk becoming president, citing US constitutional requirements that a president must be born in the country. Speaking at a Republican event in Phoenix, Trump dismissed speculation about the Tesla and SpaceX CEO's potential candidacy, saying, “He’s not gonna be president… He wasn’t born in this country.”

Musk, who has significant influence in Trump’s incoming administration as the "efficiency czar," has been the subject of Democratic criticism, with some even jokingly referring to him as “President Musk” due to his outsized role. However, Trump assured the crowd that Musk would not be taking the presidency, adding, “No, no, that’s not happening.”

Musk's involvement in pushing Republicans to reject a government funding proposal has also stirred anger among both Democrats and Republicans, especially after his misleading social media posts threatened a potential government shutdown just days before Christmas.