Elon Musk Flexes His Political Strength as Government Shutdown Looms

When President-elect Donald J. Trump selected “the Great Elon Musk,” the world’s wealthiest individual, to tackle government inefficiencies and waste, he speculated that this endeavor could be “the Manhattan Project of our time.”

By Thursday, Musk had validated that prediction in dramatic fashion. Using the $44 billion social media platform he acquired in 2022, Musk launched a rhetorical assault in the midst of government shutdown negotiations on Capitol Hill.https://wordpress.com/

Beginning early Wednesday, Musk posted over 150 times on X, demanding that Republicans back out of a bipartisan spending deal designed to prevent a government shutdown over Christmas. He threatened political retaliation against any lawmaker supporting the extensive bill championed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, who even called Musk on Wednesday, asking him to cease posting about the legislation.

Musk also spread misinformation about the bill, making false claims that it included additional funding for Ukraine or a $3 billion allocation for a new stadium in Washington. By the end of the day, Trump issued his own statement, calling the bill “a betrayal of our country.”

It was a striking moment for Musk, a billionaire with no political office, yet now possibly the loudest voice for the incoming president. His social media reach surpassed even Trump’s, with 207.9 million followers on X compared to Trump’s 96.2 million. Musk is also far wealthier than Trump, with a net worth of $458 billion compared to Trump’s $6.61 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.

This week marked the first time Musk used his platform as a powerful tool, swaying lawmakers to align with his objectives.

Musk’s interference did not sit well with some lawmakers, who accused him of wielding more power than a president or vice president. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, took to X to criticize Musk’s involvement: “Democrats and Republicans spent months negotiating a bipartisan agreement to fund our government,” Sanders wrote. “The richest man on Earth, President Elon Musk, doesn’t like it. Will Republicans kiss the ring? Billionaires must not be allowed to run our government.”

Representative Glenn Thompson, a Republican from Pennsylvania, remarked, “I didn’t see where Musk has a voting card.”

On Thursday morning, Trump attempted to regain control of the political narrative, issuing a veiled warning to Speaker Johnson, urging him not to bow to Democrats as he tried to pass a deal that wouldn’t incur Musk’s ire. “If the speaker acts decisively, and tough, and gets rid of all of the traps being set by the Democrats, which will economically and, in other ways, destroy our country, he will easily remain speaker,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

By Thursday evening, Trump backed a new initiative by Johnson, which sought to avoid a government shutdown by temporarily suspending the nation’s debt limit. In a social media post, Trump urged both Republicans and Democrats to support the bill: “All Republicans, and even the Democrats, should do what is best for our Country, and vote ‘YES’ for this Bill, TONIGHT!”

However, the spending deal failed to pass in the House, with 38 Republicans voting against it.

Trump had tasked Musk with streamlining government bureaucracy when he appointed him to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), alongside another billionaire, Vivek Ramaswamy. Both men are among several tech moguls who have visited Trump’s Florida estate to strengthen their ties with the president-elect.

On Wednesday night, Trump dined at Mar-a-Lago with Musk and Jeff Bezos, the two wealthiest individuals on the planet, while Musk’s posts were shaking up Washington. Bezos, the Amazon and Blue Origin founder, recently donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural planning committee.

Although Musk was not initially expected at the dinner, he joined as it was underway, according to two sources who requested anonymity.

Many House Republicans were frustrated by Musk’s involvement in the negotiations, expressing concerns about his influence on policy after backing Trump’s candidacy. Lawmakers were left scrambling, unsure how to handle the pressure from Musk’s social media barrage, particularly as he threatened to fund primary challengers for any lawmaker who voted for the spending bill.

Despite the backlash, conservative Republicans rallied behind Musk’s social media blitz. Representative Andy Barr from Kentucky told Fox News, “This is exactly what the American people voted for when they voted for Donald Trump.”

Musk’s threats on X to “vote out” any lawmaker supporting the spending bill were welcomed by Representative Dan Bishop of North Carolina. “In five years in Congress, I’ve been awaiting a fundamental change in the dynamic,” Bishop wrote on social media. “It has arrived.”

Some Republicans even suggested that the party should consider replacing Speaker Johnson with Musk, given that speaker candidates don’t have to be current members of Congress. “I’d be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House,” Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia posted, adding, “The establishment needs to be shattered just like it was yesterday. This could be the way.”

Such praise could backfire, however, as people close to Trump say there is no indication of any rift between him and his billionaire supporter. Yet, Trump is known to become irritable when others in his circle outshine him, as evidenced by Steve Bannon’s sudden departure after his influence was highlighted by the media.

Musk’s early posts about the spending bill began at 4:15 a.m. on Wednesday. “This bill should not pass,” Musk wrote on his platform.

Interspersed with posts about his own ventures, Musk used X to label the bill “criminal,” spread false claims about its content, and rally his followers to “stop the steal of your tax dollars!”

His posts quickly drew attention from House members, some of whom had already voiced concerns about the bill prior to Musk’s posts. “Any Member who claims to support the @DOGE should not support this ‘CR of Inefficiency’ that does not have offsets!!” Representative Ralph Norman, a Republican from South Carolina, tweeted. “Don’t get weak in the knees before we even get started!”

By the afternoon, Musk’s rhetoric had taken hold. “The terrible bill is dead,” Musk posted, concluding with the Latin phrase “Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” which means “the voice of the people is the voice of God.” Musk has used this phrase before, notably when he reinstated Trump’s Twitter account in 2022.

“No bills should be passed by Congress until Jan. 20, when @realDonaldTrump takes office,” Musk tweeted. “None. Zero.”