Elon Musk brings his messy way of doing things to Washington
Musk is blowing up plans and taking names as he and the GOP-controlled House start to learn about working with each other, while the billionaire dangles his wealth and influence as an enforcer in the new administration.
The first test of Elon Musk’s attempt to rein in Congress and its prolific spending threatened to shut down the government.
The drama erupted when the billionaire torpedoed Speaker Mike Johnson’s initial end-of-the-year measure to extend government funding. The events demonstrated that while Musk has the power to destroy carefully negotiated plans, it remains unclear if he can push Republican lawmakers toward passing new measures.
The episode added urgency to a question I heard from Washington insiders while here this past week: How much sway would Musk really have on Capitol Hill?
Yes, the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive has had President-elect Donald Trump’s ear, but for many around Washington, it was hard to imagine that lawmakers would give up their say in appropriations and oversight of government agencies to Musk and his government-cutting DOGE agenda.
Then Wednesday’s tweet storm blew through. In the single stretch of an hour alone, Musk showed his dissatisfaction with Johnson’s proposed legislation -- which the billionaire said was full of excessive spending -- by posting a broadside attack roughly every other minute on his X social-media platform.
He called it “criminal,” “one of the worst bills ever written,” and so on. “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Musk wrote. And, as if to emphasise his point, he began praising those publicly vowing to vote against it, such as Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Eli Crane.
Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2024
Support for the spending package quickly evaporated as Trump also announced he was against the bipartisan plan, raising the spectre of a federal government shutdown. Not until Friday evening did the House finally pass stopgap spending legislation, just hours ahead of a midnight deadline.
In the immediate aftermath of Wednesday’s surprise collapse, Democrats began calling Musk the co-president -- seemingly a co-ordinated jab aimed at sowing discord between Trump and Musk -- while some Republicans suggested that Musk replace Johnson as speaker of the House.
“Who is the president-elect?...Are we now negotiating with Elon Musk? Is Mike Johnson not the speaker anymore?” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, asked on CNN on Thursday evening as Johnson’s Plan B failed to muster enough votes and Democrats took apparent glee in the majority party’s fracture.
We avoided a shutdown — but this mess isn’t going away.
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) December 21, 2024
We must continue to stand up to shadow president Elon Musk and Trump — to deliver for the people not billionaires. pic.twitter.com/bxBTb5L0Cj
The GOP holds a majority in the House of 219 seats to 211, a margin that will likely narrow to 219-215 when the new Congress begins early next year. The slight majority frequently requires that Democrats help to pass major pieces of legislation. Friday’s last-minute measure passed the House with 196 votes from Democrats while 34 Republicans opposed.
Johnson became speaker last year when his predecessor was ousted by certain Republicans unhappy that he had averted a government shutdown by working with Democrats.
That slim control of the House gave Trump headaches during his first term. As Trump’s second term approaches, Musk has telegraphed that he could use his influence and wealth -- he pumped roughly $250 million into helping Trump win -- to be an enforcer in the new administration.
Shortly after Trump’s November victory, social-media chatter claimed Musk was threatening to pay for primary challengers against any House Republican failing to fall in line with Trump. In response, Musk appeared to confirm that was, in fact, his plan for ensuring change in Washington, tweeting: “How else? There is no other way.” Later, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, his co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency, visited Republicans on the Hill to discuss their plans to reduce government spending. They were greeted enthusiastically -- even if they carried a warning that some might have dismissed as puffery.
“Elon and Vivek talked about having a naughty list and a nice list for members of Congress and senators in how we vote and how we are spending the American people’s money,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, told reporters after the meeting.
How else? 🤷â€â™‚ï¸
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2024
There is no other way.
Some observers have shrugged off Musk, privately wondering when he and Trump might have a falling-out given their big egos and mercurial ways.
Until this past week, much of the theatre around Musk’s political ascendance seemed like an exaggerated Boys State, the annual summer program for high-school students to learn about civics through mock government. Mar-a-Lago has been something of a sleep-away camp for Musk, who has been spending a considerable amount of time there at Trump’s side. They have taken excursions to sporting events and photo opportunities with a parade of public officials.
All together, it has had the feel of supposed cool kids parading their clique around, offering up hope to others that they, too, could be part of the in crowd come Jan. 20, when Trump takes office.
For his part, Johnson has been there as well, posing in the background of a picture with Musk and Trump aboard the president-elect’s aeroplane with a McDonald’s meal; at the Army-Navy football game; and trailing along at a UFC fight.
Then things got real.
The first test of Musk’s influence in Congress came earlier in December and seemed to suggest he held little sway: His endorsement on Dec. 7 of a tech bill that supporters say aims to protect children online failed to spark any noticeable movement in the House.
Musk’s X team had helped craft the bill. But Johnson signalled the legislation wasn’t going to happen during the current term in the midst of concern that it could still censor valid conservative voices. He said the topic could be picked up again early next year.
The two episodes underscore what could be Musk’s biggest challenge ahead: It is easier to blow up legislation than it is to get something passed. The reason the first continuing resolution ballooned into a 1,547-page, Christmas tree of spending was to attract as many supporters as possible.
Before the effort died, Johnson defended the measure, telling Fox News that he had communicated with Musk and Ramaswamy about it. “They said, ‘This is not directed at you, Mr. Speaker, but we don’t like the spending.’ I said, ‘Guess what, fellas, I don’t either. We gotta get this done because here’s the key: by doing this, we are clearing the decks and we are setting up for Trump to come in roaring back with the America First agenda.’” The challenge of building a consensus was on display again later in the week as the House raced to find a solution to avert a government shutdown after Musk derailed the original spending measure.
On Thursday, Musk promptly supported Johnson’s greatly slimmed down Plan B, but that piece of legislation failed to drum up enough votes. Thirty-eight Republicans voted against it, while only two votes from Democrats supported the measure. Most Democrats voted against it, voicing frustration that they had negotiated an original deal only for it to be scuttled by the speaker in the midst of Musk’s pressure campaign.
Neal: We reached an agreement and a tweet changed all of it? Can you imagine what the next two years are going to be like if every time the congress works its will and then there's a tweet.. pic.twitter.com/toHbF5OB1A
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 19, 2024
“We reached an agreement, and a tweet changed all of it,” Rep. Richard Neal, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said on the House floor. “Can you imagine what the next two years are going to be like if every time the Congress works its will and then there’s a tweet...from an individual who has no official portfolio, who threatens members on the Republican side with a primary, and they succumb?” To which Musk responded: “Oh...forgot to mention that I’m also going to be funding moderate candidates in heavily Democrat districts, so that the country can get rid of those who don’t represent them, like this jackass.” Write to Tim Higgins at tim.higgins@wsj.com
Wall Street Journal
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