Aftermath of failure to raise funds

As Congress reconvenes to avert another government shutdown, Democratic lawmakers increasingly question Elon Musk’s level of influence over President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to enter the White House in the coming weeks. are.

Last week, Mr. Trump, with support from Mr. Musk, effectively scrapped a 1,500-page bipartisan funding bill drafted by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) to fund the government beyond Friday. Disabled. After 11 hours of negotiations, Congress and President Joe Biden finally passed the bill early Saturday morning.

But Musk has come under fire from some Democrats who say his tweets disrupted the legislative process. On X (formerly Twitter), which has more than 208 million followers, Musk expressed his opposition to the bill in dozens of posts.

“Any Representative or Senator who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out within two years!” Musk Posted Wednesday afternoon.

His comments prompted some Trump critics to point out that Musk appeared to be in control, derisively calling him “President Musk.” In response, Musk tried the following: belittle In response to these claims, President Trump’s spokesperson issued a statement saying, “President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. Stop it completely.”

Still, some lawmakers think otherwise. House Democrats Jim McGovern (Massachusetts) and Rosa DeLauro (Connecticut) said His Republican colleagues have caved in to Musk’s demands, which they say stem from his interest in maintaining good relations with China.

In response, Rep. French Hill, R-Arkansas, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday morning, “I don’t think that’s the heart of the 1,500-page issue,” calling the Republican Party’s need to emphasized. Working together for the benefit of the minority.

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren also criticized Musk’s role in the legislative process. Post“Last time I checked, no one voted for the richest person in the world to run the federal government.”

In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Republican Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty praised Musk’s ability to “bring transparency” to the bill through his post on X, saying that after Musk’s post, He added that his office has been flooded with calls from voters. Regarding the contents of the bill.

“Thank God Elon Musk bought Twitter, because that’s the only way we’ll know what’s in this bill. Otherwise, the conspiracy between the government and Twitter will continue and everything will be covered up,” Hagerty said. I would have done it,” he said.

Asked about the power relationship between Trump and Musk, Hagerty said Trump is “obviously the leader.”

Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzalez told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that he believes Musk reflects the voice of the American people.

“It’s kind of interesting. We have a president, we have a vice president, we have a speaker. It’s like Elon Musk became prime minister,” Gonzalez said, adding that he is preparing for Trump’s inauguration. He emphasized the need for the Republican Party to remain united.

That sentiment was echoed by Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, who said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that last week’s turmoil “foreshadows what will happen” again in March when the deal expires and Congress returns. “It’s something you do.” To the negotiating table.

He also highlighted the lack of unity among Republicans in last week’s negotiations and said it would be difficult for the party to pass much of his agenda if Trump becomes president. .

“Not only will President-elect Trump be a billionaire tweeting at 4 a.m., but Elon Musk will also be destabilizing the way we approach a very complex and important issue for this country,” Coons said. said.