Elon Musk’s growing influence over the Republican Party and the Trump administration has been a hot topic among Democrats, some of whom sarcastically refer to the Tesla and SpaceX CEO as “President Musk.” There are some too.
Musk was recently appointed by Donald Trump to head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and is already making waves in Washington. His public criticism of the bipartisan budget agreement in the days before Christmas played a major role in its ultimate failure.
On Wednesday, Musk called on X (ex-Twitter) to urge Republicans to reject the bill, labeling it “criminal.” His comments immediately drew a reaction from Republican lawmakers, some of whom suggested he could become speaker of the House. “For five years in Congress, I have been waiting for a fundamental shift in power relations,” Congressman Dan Bishop commented on Musk’s post. “It’s here.” President Trump chimed in, calling the bill “ridiculously and extraordinarily expensive.”
After the bill was defeated, Musk celebrated that “the people’s voice has been heard.” Today was a good day for America. Chris Pack, a former communications director for a Republican campaign organization, acknowledged Musk’s influence, saying, “His closeness to Trump is why he now wields so much influence over the Republican Party.” There’s no doubt about it.”
But Democrats are wary of Musk’s influence. Congressman Jim McGovern quipped: He is the president and Trump is now the vice president. ”
California Rep. Robert Garcia echoed those concerns, writing on X, “Welcome to President Elon Musk.” Echoing this sentiment, House Democratic Leader Katherine Clark said, “Here we are again in chaos,” explaining the negative impact of the government shutdown on Americans. “So what’s the point? Because the unelected Elon Musk said, ‘We’re not going to do this deal, but Donald Trump is going along with it.'”
Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin produced an artificial intelligence-generated image depicting Elon Musk’s influence over Donald Trump. A notable image showed Musk being sworn in by the president-elect. Pocan shared the images with the caption: “We just came back from the future and took photos of the inauguration.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a former Democratic Party member, also criticized the situation, saying, “Democrats and Republicans spent months negotiating a bipartisan agreement to fund the government. -President Musk doesn’t like it. Will Republicans kiss the ring? Billionaires shouldn’t be allowed to run the government.”
Musk’s role as head of DOGE and his push to cut spending has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest, especially given SpaceX’s dependence on government contracts. Adding to the concerns is Trump’s massive financial support during the campaign, including $270 million in political contributions, the largest in U.S. history. Musk is also a frequent visitor to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, where he recently dined with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Trump.
According to the NYT, some Republicans have also expressed displeasure with Musk’s influence. Representative Glenn Thompson, chairman of the agriculture committee, expressed frustration, saying Musk’s intervention canceled direct payments to farmers that had been negotiated in a bipartisan agreement. “We didn’t know where Mr. Musk had his voting card,” Thompson said. “I don’t know if he understands the plight of ordinary working people right now.”
Texas Rep. Chip Roy, an ardent Republican, faced criticism from President Trump for opposing the proposal. Roy retaliated by criticizing his Republican colleagues, accusing them of lacking dignity by contributing to the national debt.
“It’s embarrassing!” Roy shouted, standing among the Democrats and gesturing toward the Republicans.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is reportedly at odds with Musk after the Tesla CEO threatened to use political influence on lawmakers who supported a comprehensive budget bill that Johnson supported. It is reported that he did. President Trump then intervened, warning Johnson to avoid antagonizing Musk as he negotiates the government. But by Thursday evening, President Trump endorsed Johnson’s new proposal to prevent a government shutdown.
