Donald Trump's so-called "ice maiden" at the heart of his administration has won a major battle against Elon Musk by freezing the billionaire out from establishing a permanent base in the West Wing of the White House.
Susie Wiles, the first female chief of staff, earned her nickname from Trump following her calm approach to his successful presidential campaign. But she wasted little time to make clear that some people were not welcome, namely those "who want to work solo or be a star."
She faced an early challenge when online murmurings began calling Elon Musk the power behind President Trump, or calling the Commander-in-Chief "Vice-President Trump" as the billionaire grabbed more of the spotlight from the Republican.
Musk, 53, has established himself as a key figure around Trump and is heading up the meme-referencing Department of Government Efficiency, named after the Doge dog and coin. According to The Times, Musk has been angling for an office of his own just yards away from the Oval Office.
Instead, Musk's leadership team is based in the Eisenhower executive office building, on White House grounds, a short walk away from the the main site.
Wiles was in the Oval office when a reporter asked whether Musk would get a West Wing office. "No," Trump said, according to the outlet. "He's getting an office for about 20 people that we're hiring to make sure that these [savings] get implemented."
Wiles has worked to put distance between Trump and Musk, men who are known for their egos as well as their political prowess. Her roles is now to act as a gatekeeper for the president that even Musk will have to go through.
“There’s never been an administration that has had so many power plays so early,” Frank Luntz, a veteran political analyst, said, according to The Times. “She’s got the right heart and she’s got the right skills for this — if anyone’s going to succeed, it’s her.”
Musk has also attracted headlines away from Trump, with an awkward gesture at Trump's inauguration rally gaining widespread attention. The gesture was compared to a Nazi salute, which Musk himself has ridiculed.
His critics point to his boosting of accounts on his social media platform X/Twitter that have shared racist and white supremacist material. Trump has still kept Musk as an ally after Musk poured an estimated £223,271 in donations to his political campaign.
Susie Wiles, the first female chief of staff, earned her nickname from Trump following her calm approach to his successful presidential campaign. But she wasted little time to make clear that some people were not welcome, namely those "who want to work solo or be a star."
She faced an early challenge when online murmurings began calling Elon Musk the power behind President Trump, or calling the Commander-in-Chief "Vice-President Trump" as the billionaire grabbed more of the spotlight from the Republican.
Musk, 53, has established himself as a key figure around Trump and is heading up the meme-referencing Department of Government Efficiency, named after the Doge dog and coin. According to The Times, Musk has been angling for an office of his own just yards away from the Oval Office.
Instead, Musk's leadership team is based in the Eisenhower executive office building, on White House grounds, a short walk away from the the main site.
Wiles was in the Oval office when a reporter asked whether Musk would get a West Wing office. "No," Trump said, according to the outlet. "He's getting an office for about 20 people that we're hiring to make sure that these [savings] get implemented."
Wiles has worked to put distance between Trump and Musk, men who are known for their egos as well as their political prowess. Her roles is now to act as a gatekeeper for the president that even Musk will have to go through.
“There’s never been an administration that has had so many power plays so early,” Frank Luntz, a veteran political analyst, said, according to The Times. “She’s got the right heart and she’s got the right skills for this — if anyone’s going to succeed, it’s her.”
Musk has also attracted headlines away from Trump, with an awkward gesture at Trump's inauguration rally gaining widespread attention. The gesture was compared to a Nazi salute, which Musk himself has ridiculed.
His critics point to his boosting of accounts on his social media platform X/Twitter that have shared racist and white supremacist material. Trump has still kept Musk as an ally after Musk poured an estimated £223,271 in donations to his political campaign.
