Joe Biden has faded from national leadership as Donald Trump and his allies, including Elon Musk, act as if they are already in power. Lecturers on Washington Week with the Atlantic He joined us last night to discuss this and how a government shutdown is on the table.
Musk has become one of the most powerful men in Washington, playing a crucial role in the Trump administration. Mark Leibovich said last night that the tech billionaire is a new figure for Trump to deal with, but how long he will be useful to the president-elect remains to be seen. “Donald Trump likes new toys, he likes new partners, and he especially likes to be seen in a partnership with someone richer than him, richer than anyone in the world,” Leibovich explained.
But no matter how long Musk stays by Trump’s side, his presence — especially on matters like calls with foreign leaders — is far from conventional for someone with no experience in government, Asma Khalid said. “What does this mean for the health of American democracy as it is known?” he asked. I asked. “To see someone so wealthy in an unelected position have the ear of the president in this way” is “completely unprecedented.”
Join the editor-in-chief AtlanticAnd Jeffrey Goldberg to discuss this and more: Asmaa Khaled, NPR’s White House correspondent; Mark Leibovich, writer at Atlantic; Ashley Parker, a senior national political correspondent at The Washington Post; And Vivian Salama, national politics correspondent at The Wall Street Journal.
Watch the full episode here.