The SpaceX billionaire was in attendance in the First Lady’s box above the chamber for Trump’s marathon address to a joint session of Congress earlier this week
A political journalist has highlighted Elon Musk’s influence during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress earlier this week. Six weeks after Trump commenced his second term, he delivered an extensive speech to a joint session of Congress.
Among the audience of Democrats and Republicans was the billionaire entrepreneur Musk, now leading DOGE, the Department Of Government Efficiency, which has shaken up various crucial government agencies since its inception. Musk, often regarded as the unofficial and unelected ‘Prime Minister’ of America, is deemed one of the most pivotal figures in the White House, second only to Trump himself.
Speaking on Sky’s TRUMP100 podcast, Mark Stone illustrated Musk’s clout with a particular vignette from the event. He stated: “One thing about Elon Musk which I thought was amusing and brought the picture to life, is that as the Cabinet were walking in at the beginning Elon Musk was literally above them.”
Stone added, emphasising Musk’s dominance: “He is figuratively above them, we see how all-powerful he is, and literally above them because he was standing or sitting at the First Lady’s box which is right above the corridor through which the cabinet walked so that was a telling and apt visual I thought.”
Musk’s considerable clout and unpredictable social media presence, along with his attempts to sway UK politics, have stirred up a storm on both sides of the pond. Despite worries about the tech mogul’s influence, the White House has firmly backed Musk’s grip on power, reports the Irish Star.
This week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt came to Musk’s defence for his casual attire in the Oval Office, contrasting the criticism faced by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky for a similar dress code breach.
Addressing the perceived inconsistency, she highlighted that Musk had donned a suit for Trump’s speech to Congress, saying: “Well, Elon Musk wore a suit last night. I’m sure you saw it. I’m just pointing out that he did wear a suit last night and I think the president liked that very much and he looked great.”
Meanwhile, Tesla, Musk’s car company, is facing financial woes as customers in Europe and beyond seek to dissociate from his political antics.
Sales in Europe have plummeted, with significant pushback also emerging in the UK and Australia. However, despite Tesla’s tumbling share price, the UK market has seen a surge in sales, growing by 20% according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), with The Guardian reporting nearly 4,000 Teslas sold in February in the UK alone.
However, Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the SMMT, has cautioned that it’s too early to determine whether this is a minor setback for Tesla or a sign of a larger decline in the UK, where Elon Musk’s popularity is waning.
Hawes stated: “The good news is that electric car uptake is increasing, albeit at huge cost to manufacturers in terms of market support. It is always dangerous, however, to draw conclusions from a single month, especially one as small and volatile as February.”