As lawmakers on Capitol Hill work to stave off a government shutdown, something has become abundantly clear in Washington: the emerging influence of billionaire Elon Musk.
Musk, who has been seen alongside President-elect Donald Trump on numerous occasions since the election, took to social media this week and helped – in part – help defeat a spending bill bipartite.
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“Kill the bill,” Musk repeated Wednesday on his X social media platform.
“One of the worst bills ever written,” he added, saying that shutting down the government “is infinitely better than passing a horrible bill.”
Musk’s political influence has some Democrats in Congress — like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — wondering who really runs the Republican Party.
“Democrats and Republicans have spent months negotiating a bipartisan deal to fund our government,” Sanders wrote on X. “The richest man on the planet, President Elon Musk, doesn’t like it. Will Republicans kiss the ring? Billionaires must not be allowed to run our government.
Musk’s influence on the government’s spending bill is seen by some as a precursor to his larger role in the next Trump administration.
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Although Musk did not get a formal government position, he was asked to lead the new Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE). The unofficial agency will study ways to reduce government spending, government regulations and the federal workforce.
What makes Musk one of the most unique figures in American politics right now isn’t just his wealth, estimated at around $400 billion. This is also its scope.
Musk owns the social media platform X and has over 200 million followers, the most people on the planet.