Can two personalities as large as Musk and Trump coexist?
Who else could we be talking about but Elon Musk? The wealthiest man in the world is now also the most prominent face of the Trump administration. With speed that makes Trump decision-making look slow, with a media platform that dwarfs Truth Social, and with an army of followers that is at times indistinguishable from MAGA — is Musk overshadowing the president? More than that, can two personalities as large as Musk and Trump coexist?
History provides some guide.
Many presidents have been overshadowed by members of their cabinet. Alexander Hamilton’s positions often outshone George Washington’s. Henry Kissinger shared the glory and spotlight with Richard Nixon when both were named as Time magazine’s “Men of the Year.” Dick Cheney was accused of being a “shadow president” for George W. Bush.
Presidential cabinets attract major personalities who help shoulder key initiatives and oversee entire departments. The key question for any president is: Are these individuals shadows or lightning rods? The former is a nuisance that is hard to detach from, whereas the latter is helpful in deflecting criticism.
For example, Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919, and his wife Edith quickly took over control of his schedule and activities. This is the definition of a shadow presidency. Wilson’s wife had as much power as he did, if not more, during the latter half of his second term. The same could be said for whoever was running the White House during the Biden administration.
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