'President Musk' makes his presence felt in Washington
WASHINGTON
Elon Musk's role in wrecking a bipartisan Congress deal to avert a U.S. government shutdown has underlined his extraordinary influence over the Republican Party and the incoming administration of Donald Trump.
In addition to his usual title of the world's richest man, Democrats are now describing him as "President Musk."
Musk has been tapped by Trump to run the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) agency, but the billionaire is throwing his weight around even before the president-elect takes office on Jan. 20.
On Dec. 18, shortly after 4 a.m, the hyperactive owner of Tesla and SpaceX used his social platform X to attack the budget bill hammered out by Republicans and Democrats in Congress to keep the federal government operating.
"This bill should not pass," Musk wrote in the first of what became a barrage of posts.
"Kill the bill," he exhorted Republican members of the House of Representatives. "This bill is criminal."
A number of Republican lawmakers quickly fell in line, with some even engaging in a bit of flattery.
"In five years in Congress, I've been awaiting a fundamental change in the dynamic," Representative Dan Bishop commented on an X post by Musk. "It has arrived."
Other right-wing members of Congress even went so far as to suggest that the South African-born Musk should take over as House speaker.
Musk rejoiced after the bill was torpedoed. "The voice of the people was heard," he said.
Democrats have painted the tech billionaire as unstable and a megalomaniac, and hope calling him "President Musk" will needle Trump.
Democratic Representative Jim McGovern said "at least we know who's in charge."
"He's president and Trump is now vice president," McGovern said.
Musk's rapid political ascension is unprecedented. While wealthy patrons have exerted influence before, no unelected businessman has ever wielded such political power.
Musk played a large role in the closing stages of Trump's presidential campaign, appearing with him at a rally in Pennsylvania on the site where a gunman wounded the Republican candidate, and personally funding a reelection committee.
He has been omnipresent since Trump's election victory, virtually taking up residence at Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago Florida where the incoming president is mapping out the transition.
Musk and Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, a space race rival, dined with Trump on Dec. 18 at Mar-a-Lago.
Musk has not been formally named to Trump's cabinet but his expansive brief of cutting federal government spending has sparked conflict of interest concerns.
SpaceX, for example, depends for a large part on U.S. government contracts.
Musk's $270 million in political donations during the November election cycle made him the largest political donor in U.S. history.
But he shelled out far more for Twitter (since re-branded as X) in 2022, paying $44 billion.
"It's weird to think that Elon Musk will end up having paid far less for the United States Government than he did for Twitter," joked George Conway, a conservative critic.