The election for Speaker is on January 3— two weeks from today. Because of Trump’s support, MAGA Mike nearly had a lock on it— until co-president Musk, hopped up on ketamine or whatever he takes, started tweeting manically all his government shutdown bullshit Wednesday, which blew up the carefully-negotiated government funding deal. As Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) noted, “It is dangerous for House Republicans to have folded to the demands of the richest man on the planet, who nobody elected, after leaders in both parties came to an agreement to fund the government and provide this disaster aid.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Musk had tweeted a veiled threat: “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” After he tweeted at 4:15pm, “This bill should not pass,” the deal was pretty much tanked and the House GOP leadership was in complete disarray. “Over the ensuing 12 hours, Musk went on a prolific tirade against the bill— with more than 60 updates, some of which boosted false claims— that stood out even for a chronic poster who has commanded an audience of more than 200 million followers by broadcasting his largely uninhibited views on the site he owns.” Among the other ways Musk described the bill: “terrible,” “criminal,” “outrageous,” “horrible,” “unconscionable,” “crazy,” and “an insane crime.” If MAGA Mike didn’t know who the boss was before that, he does now.
So on Wednesday evening, before sundown, Capitol Hill energy began flowing into a whispered debate about who the next speaker would be. And, yes, there were even some Republicans suggesting it should be Musk. This imbecile (Musk, not Marjorie Traitor Greene this time) who knows less about how the American political system works— beyond what he can buy with his vast fortune— than a high school freshman.
Longtime political observers were stunned by the swift impact of Musk’s intervention.
Trump stayed largely silent on the measure through Wednesday afternoon, putting Musk in the unusual position of exerting more influence on the bill than the incoming president. Finally, by late afternoon, Trump, too, aired his opposition.
“Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH. If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF,” he said in a joint statement with Vice President-elect JD Vance. “… THIS CHAOS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IF WE HAD A REAL PRESIDENT. WE WILL IN 32 DAYS!”
But it was Musk who seemed to force the tipping point.
“Elon is having an incredible effect,” said Gordon Gray, executive director at Pinpoint Policy Institute, a center-right think tank, who noted the “real-time” shift. “I am struggling to recall another instance where an unelected public figure has exercised that kind of influence.”
Still, Musk’s campaign relied on or repeated at least some false claims.
He reposted a claim that the legislation includes a “40% pay raise for Congress,” calling it “unconscionable.” The DOGE account also said on Twitter that the legislation would raise pay for members of Congress to $243,000, up from $174,000.
It is unclear where that number came from. The legislation includes language allowing a 3.8 percent pay bump to take effect, which would result in a pay raise for lawmakers of $6,600— far short of what Musk claimed, according to a statement from Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), who said he would oppose the bill because it allowed the pay raise. Congress has blocked its own cost-of-living allowance increases since 2009.
Musk also amplified false claims that the legislation included $3 billion in federal funds for a new football stadium in the District. In fact, the provision would transfer the land where RFK Stadium sits to the local government, but it provided no funding, and the city would still have to negotiate with the National Football League’s Washington Commanders over a stadium deal.
[...]
Read it all at DWT. I voted for Harris. Some voted for Trump. None voted for Musk.
So what you say? He wants more power than Putin, give him more? What?
