Elon Musk exerts his political influence, steering the government towards a potential shutdown.
Elon Musk exerts his political influence, steering the government towards a potential shutdown.
The significance of this picture and Musk sharing it is hard to overlook. In the photo, Musk is positioned prominently behind Trump and Vance, standing out more than the individual in third place in the presidential lineup.
A few days later, Musk would make a significant mark in his newfound political influence. He played a key role in sabotaging a budget bill, which was proposed by Johnson with bipartisan support to fund the government and prevent a shutdown as early as Friday evening.
Certain conservatives had already expressed doubts about the budget bill even before its official release. However, Musk and his partner in the Department of Government Efficiency, Vivek Ramaswamy, started fiercely criticizing the bill on social media on Wednesday. They stirred up their millions of followers, inciting anger about the bill's content.
Musk wrote on his platform at 4:15 a.m. ET, "This bill should not pass," initiating a flurry of posts about the legislation. It was only a matter of time before the bill collapsed.
Musk's extraordinary online influence seemed to single-handedly sink the budget bill, a feat that no Republican lawmaker could have accomplished from within Capitol Hill.
Known to Washington insiders as massive spending bills filled with unnecessary add-ons, this budget bill was described as "overstuffed" by Punchbowl, and others compared it to a "Christmas tree" adorned with ornaments. Musk has always been known for going against the grain, disregarding rules whether written or unwritten, and breaking the mold. He posted more than 100 times on his platform, lambasting various aspects of the bill, though some of his criticisms were baseless and amplified by anonymous accounts without any fact-checking.
Musk also advocated for a government shutdown, arguing it wouldn't impact "critical functions." While that is somewhat true, shutdowns cost the economy billions of dollars, and millions of federal employees wouldn't be paid during the government's closure.
Ever since Musk started associating with Trump, there's been an increase in memes depicting him as "President Musk," and Democrats have started questioning his influence.
Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal wrote, "It's clear who's in control, and it's not President-elect Donald Trump. Shadow President Elon Musk spent all day criticizing the Republicans' CR, managed to kill the bill, and then Trump followed suit."
Sen. Bernie Sanders shared her sentiment.
"Democrats and Republicans worked diligently for months to craft a bipartisan agreement to fund the government. The wealthiest person on Earth, President Elon Musk, doesn't approve of it."
Musk, a tech billionaire without any political office, attributes his power to "the people."
"All I can do is bring issues to the attention of the people, so they may show their support if they wish," Musk wrote on his platform on Wednesday.
Now, some Republicans are suggesting making Musk's power official, going beyond his self-proclaimed "first buddy" title.
"The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress," Sen. Rand Paul wrote on his platform. "Nothing would rattle the swamp more than electing Elon Musk ... imagine it ... nothing's impossible (not to mention the excitement of watching the collective establishment, aka 'uniparty,' lose their minds)."
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed her support as well.
"I'm open to backing Musk as Speaker," she wrote on her platform. "DOGE can only truly be accomplished by restraining Congress to enact genuine government efficiency. The establishment must be shattered just like it was yesterday. This could be the way."
Despite these suggestions, there's no indication that Musk is considering becoming the Speaker of the House, considering his numerous businesses that require his attention. (Additionally, assuming the role would take away from his ultimate life goal: colonizing Mars.)
Musk's first foray into significantly influencing legislation seems to predict what's to come, sparking a mixture of fear and excitement in Washington.
Following Musk's influence on sabotaging the budget bill, some media outlets started questioning his role in political affairs. For instance, CNN titled an article, "Elon Musk's Media Blitz Shakes Washington's Political Landscape."
Rumors circulated about potential business partnerships between Musk and news outlets, with speculations of him purchasing a stake in a major media company. The New York Post reported, "Elon Musk's Media Takeover: What Could This Mean for Business and Politics?"