Elon Musk's political influence is growing, and there are increasing voices joking that he is the &#34;shadow president&#34; behind Trump. In response, U.S. President-elect Trump made a direct statement.
On December 23, according to media reports, during a speaking event in Phoenix, Trump told conservative audiences: &#34;No, he will not take over the presidency.&#34; He further explained that the claim that he handed the presidency to Musk is &#34;a hoax&#34;:
<blockquote>
&#34;You know, they are at it again... with all sorts of different hoaxes, the new one is that President Trump has handed the presidency to Elon Musk, no, no, that's not true.&#34;
</blockquote>
Trump jokingly said, &#34;But no, he will not become president, I can tell you that. And I'm very safe. You know why? Because he can't. He wasn't born in this country. Hahaha.&#34;
Trump's statement is a direct response to the growing complaints about Musk playing too large a role in the government recently, and it highlights Musk's influence on the political stage.
Last week, Musk played a significant role in the congressional budget compromise. He was an early and vocal opponent of the budget proposal, criticizing the bill extensively on social media, which ultimately led to its failure and replacement by a slimmed-down version, avoiding a government shutdown.
Trump praised Musk's technical abilities and credited him with helping to win Pennsylvania. Trump told the audience at the rally: &#34;Aren't we happy to have smart people we can rely on? Don't we want that?&#34;

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Trump stated that the claim about him handing over the presidency to Musk is "a hoax." He jokingly said, "I'm safe. Do you know why? Because he can't. He wasn't born in this country. Hahaha."

- Elon Musk's political influence is growing, with increasing speculation about him being a "shadow president" behind Trump.  
- In response, President Trump stated at a Phoenix event that claims he has handed over the presidency to Musk are false, calling it a "hoax."  
- Trump acknowledged Musk's technical skills and his role in winning Pennsylvania, while addressing concerns about Musk's significant involvement in government matters.

Positive response! Trump: I am the president, Musk is not