Elon Musk says comments of “President Musk” is part of a media conspiracy to “drive a wedge between” him and Donald Trump, but he hasn’t outright rejected his new moniker. Comments about Musk’s political influence rolled in after he went on a posting spree Wednesday to threaten GOP lawmakers with retribution if they didn’t reject a stopgap budget he felt had too wide of a scope.

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) on Thursday suggested Elon Musk is the one directing the Trump administration, not President-elect Trump, pointing to the tech entrepreneur’s leading position in opposing the government funding stopgap measure.