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.

Elon Musk tried to downplay his role in the collapse of a government spending bill, and after Democrats started referring to him as "President Musk."