Elon Musk was never elected to office. President-elect Donald Trump has not nominated him for any cabinet position. Until his July attack, he had never even publicly endorsed Trump.
But this week, critics of the world’s richest man say he has acquired a fresh title: the “shadow president” of the United States.
Within hours on Wednesday, Musk used his powerful X account to pressure House Republicans to torpedo a spending bill that would have kept the federal government functioning for three months. Musk’s news flash – which included numerous false claims about the content of the spending bill – ricocheted around Washington, where some lawmakers reported their phone lines rang throughout the day from constituents who had seen Musk’s posts. More than 12 hours after Musk’s initial post urging lawmakers not to pass the bill, Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance also released a statement opposing the legislation, and House Republicans rejected the agreement.
On Thursday, Musk posted more critical posts throughout the day as House Republicans tried to propose an alternative. Ultimately, House Republicans attached a two-year debt ceiling enhance – a key Trump demand – to a slimmed-down version of the original bill, which Musk described as “one of the worst bills ever written,” although the difference in costs between the two was marginal.
But the second Trump-backed measure ended in a wide and swift defeat in the House of Representatives on Thursday night, increasing the chances of a shutdown that began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Musk’s outsized role in steering the federal government toward a potential Christmas shutdown alarmed Democrats, scientists and watchdog groups, while some Republicans said his intervention was ill-informed.
The tech billionaire’s rapid accumulation of political power has sparked criticism that the incoming Trump administration will function like an oligarchy, with Musk pushing policies that will further enrich him and his companies. Trump has named Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy co-chairs of an outside group called the “Department of Government Effectiveness” that will advocate for dramatic cuts in federal spending.
The outrage reverberated across X, which is owned by Musk and where “President Musk” has become a trending topic. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) posted an AI-generated photo of Musk operating a Trump puppet. Sen. Chris Murphy (R-Conn.) wrote that the move is a signal of what’s to come under Trump’s “Billionaire First” agenda. And Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) wrote that “the Republican Party has crowned an unelected billionaire co-president.”
The Republican Party “has given him so much influence in every decision he makes,” Frost told The Washington Post on Thursday. “Either they are afraid or they have bowed and pledged allegiance to the richest man on Earth.”
Musk did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Republicans insisted that Trump led the push, and Musk and Ramaswamy used their social media reach to amplify their opposition to the original budget bill. Some have warned that prospects for a deal with Johnson are already fading amid concerns that Johnson has acquiesced to too many Democratic demands, moving away from a promise to avoid chasing a “Christmas tree” bill – a term referring to a crowd-drawing bill of last-chance, unrelated legislation . Several people also said that Trump communicated to Johnson this fall that he wanted to get rid of the debt ceiling – a demand that did not come up in discussions about government funding but that Trump renewed this week.
“I think President Trump is calling the shots,” Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) said when asked about Musk’s influence on the process. Kennedy said he wasn’t minimizing Musk’s tweets, but said it was Trump who ultimately put an end to the first law. He added that it was obvious the legislation was “trouble with the stick” when he realized it included a provision allowing pay raises for lawmakers.
The episode highlighted the political ramifications of Musk’s unprecedented role in shaping the Trump administration. He participated in Cabinet picks, participated in meetings with heads of state, and currently serves as the enforcer of Trump’s political agenda on Capitol Hill.
Musk’s wealth, online following and political clout have exploded since Trump’s November victory, after he emerged as the nation’s biggest political donor, donating $277 million to support Donald Trump and other Republicans. Many watchdog groups have expressed concerns that Musk could abuse his access to Trump and his role in shaping the Republican agenda at a time when he is the target of multiple government investigations and party to multiple lucrative government contracts.
Musk has a conflict of interest because of his companies’ dependence on the government, said Martin Gilens, a professor of public policy at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has studied economic inequality in terms of political influence.
“It’s kind of a perfect storm in the sense that he wasn’t elected and he’s in an apparently very influential position, so it’s problematic from the start,” he said.
On Thursday, Trump and his transition team pushed back against claims that Musk was solely responsible for ruining the spending plan. Trump told NBC News that he discussed his position on the spending bill with Musk before the Tesla CEO’s Wednesday tweets.
“I told him that if he agreed with me, he could make a statement,” Trump told NBC. “He looks at everything from a cost standpoint.” He described their views as consistent and “very correct.”
“As soon as President Trump announced his official position on the Czech Republic, Republicans on Capitol Hill shared his view,” said Trump’s transition spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt. “President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. Dot.”
Musk’s online tirade against the bill is reminiscent of Trump’s governing style, using a maximum of 140 characters during his first administration. Musk made numerous inaccurate claims about the spending bill, writing that the bill would give members of Congress a 40 percent raise. The maximum possible increase in 2025, in accordance with the regulations, would be 3.8%. Some of Musk’s inaccuracies even attracted comments from members of the Republican Party.
“I love you Elon, but you need to take 5 seconds to check your sources before highlighting bottom feeders looking for clicks,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw (Texas) tweeted after Musk responded to a video claiming Crenshaw was leading the effort raise the salaries of parliamentarians.
Musk also amplified the false claim that the bill included billions for a new D.C. stadium. The legislation would allow DC to redevelop RFK Stadium and possibly bring Washington’s commanders back to their former home, but there were no costs associated with this provision. It was removed from the compromise version released on Thursday.
Musk also threatened members of Congress who supported the spending bill, writing that it should be voted down in two years. Amid criticism that he had crossed the line and bought political influence, Musk said he was enforcing the will of the American people.
“The voice of the people has been heard,” he wrote after the bill was rejected. “It was a good day for America.”
Some Republican senators on Thursday praised Musk’s influence in the legislature, portraying him as an ordinary citizen exercising his right to be heard.
“He’s a member of society who has a voice, and I think what’s happened is he’s doing what Americans do: showing up, learning about the process and getting involved,” said Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). “And I think it’s great what he’s doing.”
Asked whether Musk or Trump thwarted the spending deal, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) replied: “I think it’s a little bit of both.”
Other Republicans seemed eager to give Musk even more power in Washington. Senator Rand Paul (Kentucky) noted in X that the Speaker of the House does not have to be a member of Congress. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia) responded that she would be open to supporting Musk in running the House.
“Nothing would disturb the swamp more than electing Elon Musk… think about it… nothing is impossible,” he replied.
Paul appeared to backtrack on that opinion on Thursday, saying that when asked by a reporter if he was serious, he would leave his comment “open to interpretation.”
“Elon Musk is making an impact, and I think it’s a good influence in the sense that spending is out of control,” Paul said.
On Thursday, during an exchange with an ABC News correspondent, Trump asked Musk if he wanted to become speaker of the House of Representatives. “Should I?” replied the tech billionaire. “No, we are very happy with Mike,” Trump said. “[Elon] he’s too busy sending rockets to the moon.
Rep. Michael Lawler (D-N.Y.) said Musk will inevitably focus on spending as part of his work on DOGE and doesn’t think there will be any problems with greater transparency, “as long as it’s accurate.”
“I don’t think there is any problem in raising concerns about the strategy, plan or elements of the bill,” he said. “But I think the key that everyone needs to realize, from the White House down, is that given our margins, we have to work as a team.”
Meanwhile, furious Democrats expressed fears that this week’s chaos on the Hill was just a preview of what lies ahead for the fresh Trump administration, when his party will also control both houses of Congress.
“Well, you have a billionaire who is who, is he running the country? So now we have two people we have to deal with,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). “It’s just disturbing if decisions are made this way.”
