Elon Musk stood over a hunched, seated Donald Trump in a show of dominance during a joint press conference in the Oval Office yesterday. And according to MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, the image "delivered a picture of presidential subservience the likes of which we have never seen."
It was "the most powerless image of a President of the United States ever created by a camera," O'Donnell added, describing the not-so-subtle signs pointing to Musk as the real boss in the room.
Not only did the much younger, 53-year-old tech mogul get in 1,179 more words than Trump, according to O'Donnell, but he was also doing the "billionaire thing." As in wearing casual duds while Trump — along with all the other minions in the room — wore the expected suit and tie.
"Elon Musk owns suits and ties, we've seen him wearing them," O'Donnell said. "[But] the billionaire power move is being underdressed, violating the dress code, and knowing you can do it. Because clothes don't make the man — money makes the man."
And then there was Musk's 4-year-old child, nicknamed X, who joined in on the meeting as yet another "power play" by the Tesla CEO. "When Donald Trump is your boss, you don't bring your kid to a meeting," he said — unless you're Elon Musk, who "demonstrated he can do whatever he wants in that room."
In summary, Musk did "everything he possibly can to tell the world, without saying a word, that 'Donald Trump is not the boss of me,'" O'Donnell said. Because you can only have one boss in the room.
(See videos of both O'Donnell's scathing observations and Musk's "power play" tactics, below.)
Previously: The Lincoln Project says the Presidency is Elon Musk's
