When Elon Speaks ...

Susan Estrich on Dec 21, 2024

Something very scary happened in Washington this week. The world's richest man flexed his political muscle.

And the House collapsed.

All in a day.

Republicans and Democrats had negotiated for months about a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown -- complicated negotiations to keep the government funded through mid-March including $110 billion in disaster relief and payments to farmers. President-elect Donald Trump, who could have (and plainly should have) weighed in on the negotiations, didn't. And then on Wednesday, before the House could approve the bipartisan deal, Elon Musk decided he didn't like it.

And before dawn, he started tweeting. And threatening. Over the course of the day, the most popular man on X told his 207.9 million followers (President-elect Trump has a mere 96.2 million) more than 150 times that he would seek retribution against any Republicans who supported the package. "Jump," said the world's richest man. And they said, "How high?"

He used his power to spread misinformation and lies, claiming the bill included new aid to Ukraine and some $3 billion for a new football stadium in the District of Columbia. The speaker of the House reportedly called him and asked him to stop posting about the bill. He didn't. By mid-afternoon, it was dead.

"Democrats and Republicans spent months negotiating a bipartisan agreement to fund our government," Sen. Bernie Sanders posted on X. "The richest man on Earth, President Elon Musk, doesn't like it. Will Republicans kiss the ring? Billionaires must not be allowed to run our government."

They kissed the ring. A billionaire took over the government.

Bernie wasn't the only one calling out "President" Musk. Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger told reporters, "President Musk this morning made it clear -- with all his vast government experience, which is basically, he became rich on the federal government -- that he doesn't want Republicans to pass this. And seemingly, Vice President Trump kind of backed him up at that point."

Even Republicans expressed shock at the blunt exercise of power by the world's richest man and new best friend of the president-elect. Republican Rep. Glenn Thompson, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee who was deeply involved in the negotiations of the bipartisan bill, told reporters that he "didn't see where Musk has a voting card." He added, "I'm not sure he understands the plight of the normal working people right now."

How would he?

The crazies loved it. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was ready to make Musk the next Speaker of the House. "I'd be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House," she posted. "The establishment needs to be shattered just like it was yesterday. This could be the way."

Shattering bipartisanship in favor of the tyranny of the oligarch. Blowing up months of careful negotiation at the whim of an unelected billionaire.

Is this the next Trump administration in action?

As the government teeters on the verge of shutting down, never a popular -- or responsible -- move, 38 Republican House members refused to back the stripped-down Trump-supported measure to keep the government operating. That's a start, but not a sign that the government is working, or that Speaker Mike Johnson can control his own caucus.

It's going to be a "messy four years," former Kinzinger told reporters. That's an understatement. Is Musk really in charge? Will Trump tolerate the impression that he is? The incoming president is notoriously thin-skinned at the notion that someone is overshadowing him. But the "First Buddy" is not just anybody. Having spent a quarter of a billion dollars to elect Donald Trump, he is not likely to go gently in the night. His unimaginable wealth gives him the power to intimidate almost anyone, including the most powerful man in the world. Who will stand up to him? And what can anyone but Trump do about it? Not much, if this week proves anything at all.

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To find out more about Susan Estrich and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.