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‘President Musk’ flexes his influence as US govt shutdown looms
Elon Musk's influence in Congress is evident as he derailed a bipartisan budget deal, prompting Republican support and Trump’s endorsement.
Elon Musk's involvement in derailing a bipartisan deal in Congress to prevent a US government shutdown has highlighted his immense influence over the Republican Party and the incoming administration of Donald Trump.
In addition to being the world’s wealthiest individual, Democrats are now referring to him as "President Musk."
Trump has appointed Musk to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but the billionaire has already begun exerting his influence well before the president-elect takes office on January 20.
On Wednesday, around 4 am, Musk, the dynamic owner of Tesla and SpaceX, used his social media platform X to attack a budget bill negotiated by Republicans and Democrats in Congress to keep the federal government running.
"This bill should not pass," Musk, 53, wrote in the first of a series of posts.
"Kill the bill," he urged Republican members of the House. "This bill is criminal."
Several Republican lawmakers quickly sided with Musk, with some offering praise.
"In five years in Congress, I've been waiting for a fundamental shift in the dynamic," Representative Dan Bishop commented on Musk's post. "It has arrived."
Other right-wing members of Congress even suggested Musk should take over as House Speaker.
Trump also weighed in on the budget dispute later that day.
The 78-year-old president-elect called the spending bill "ridiculous and extraordinarily expensive."
The dramatic developments pushed the country toward a government shutdown just days before Christmas.
Musk celebrated after the bill was defeated. "The voice of the people was heard," he said. "This was a good day for America."
He followed up by reposting an image of himself standing in front of an American flag with the Latin phrase "VOX POPULI" ("The voice of the people") and "VOX DEI" ("The voice of God").
Following Musk's intervention, Congressional Republicans on Thursday proposed a new funding package that appeased both Trump and Musk.
Musk or Trump: Who's in Charge?
Democrats have portrayed the tech mogul as erratic and megalomaniacal, with the aim of provoking Trump by calling Musk "President Musk."
"Democrats and Republicans spent months negotiating a bipartisan deal to fund our government," Senator Bernie Sanders said. "The richest man on Earth, President Elon Musk, doesn’t like it."
"Will Republicans kiss the ring?" Sanders asked. "Billionaires should not control our government."
Representative Jim McGovern echoed that sentiment: "At least we know who's in charge."
"He's president, and Trump is now vice president," McGovern remarked.
David Axelrod, a former chief strategist for Barack Obama, suggested on CNN that Musk and Trump need to "figure out who the real president is."
Musk’s rapid political rise is unprecedented. While wealthy donors have always had influence, no unelected business tycoon has wielded such political power.
Musk played a key role in the final stages of Trump's 2020 campaign, attending a rally in Pennsylvania where a gunman shot the Republican candidate, and personally funding a reelection committee.
Since Trump’s victory, Musk has been a constant presence at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where the incoming president is planning his transition.
Musk and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, a rival in the space race, dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday evening.
Though Musk hasn’t been officially named to Trump’s cabinet, his significant role in cutting government spending has raised concerns about conflicts of interest, particularly since SpaceX depends heavily on U.S. government contracts.
Musk’s political donations—totaling $270 million during the November election cycle—made him the largest political donor in U.S. history.
However, he spent far more on purchasing Twitter (now X) in 2022, shelling out $44 billion.
"It's strange to think that Musk will end up paying less for the U.S. government than he did for Twitter," joked conservative critic George Conway.
