New York
Elon Musk’s Unprecedented Influence in Washington
During the Army-Navy football game, Elon Musk posted a photo of himself, President-elect Donald Trump, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, with House Speaker Mike Johnson looking down in the background. The symbolism of the image was hard to miss, with Musk standing prominently behind Trump and Vance.
Days later, Musk used his online influence to torpedo a spending bill put forth by Johnson with bipartisan support to fund the government and avoid a shutdown. Musk and his co-Department of Government Efficiency leader Vivek Ramaswamy blasted the bill online, stoking outrage among their tens of millions of supporters.
Musk’s posts claimed the bill was “overstuffed” and included false information, but his influence was enough to kill the bill. His online rants also pushed for a government shutdown, which would cost the economy billions of dollars and leave millions of federal employees unpaid.
The incident has sparked concerns that Musk is becoming a “shadow president,” with some Democrats questioning whether he is more influential than Trump. Musk has denied this, saying he is only bringing issues to the attention of the people, but some Republicans are now suggesting making his power official by electing him Speaker of the House.
Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have both expressed support for the idea, with Paul writing that nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Musk. Musk himself has not indicated that he is seriously considering the role, but his influence in Washington is undeniable.
Musk’s foray into affecting major legislation is a prospect that is either terrifying or exhilarating to those in Washington, and it remains to be seen what the future holds for his role in the government.
