Democrats rage at "unelected co-president" Elon Musk
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Elon Musk at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 5. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Democratic members of Congress are incensed at the outsized power billionaire-turned-Trump lieutenant Elon Musk appears to be exercising over the policymaking process.
Why it matters: Musk's fervent public opposition helped scuttle a federal funding deal Democrats were prepared to support en masse — putting the government on the brink of a holiday shutdown.
- Some Republicans have cheered Musk's role, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) even floating Musk as a replacement for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
What they're saying: Coming in and out of a closed-door caucus meeting Thursday, Democrats had an array of colorful descriptors for Musk's standing in Trump's orbit.
- "If this is the type of power he has, then he is going to be the unelected co-president of this country and we've got to be super blunt about it," said Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.).
- "He's president and Trump is now vice president," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.).
- Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said: "A lot of the Republicans are pushing for him to become speaker of the House, which might be a demotion for him because he's basically the fourth branch of the government."
Between the lines: Some Democrats are transparent about their efforts to aggrandize Musk's stature to drive a wedge between the president-elect and one of his most empowered deputies.
- That includes Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), who has posted AI-generated memes to X depicting Trump swearing in Musk as president, Trump as a court jester and Musk as a king, and Musk walking Trump like a dog.
- "This is going to turn out to be an epic problem at some point for Donald Trump — the two biggest egos on the planet colliding thinking they are in charge," Pocan told Axios in an interview.
- He added: "Donald Trump at some point is not going to accept that. So I'm just going to invest in popcorn for the next year."
Yes, but: Others insist there is genuine anger over the way in which Musk seems to be holding sway.
- "It's rage. It's not just frustration — it's rage that we are in a place right now where the House GOP is allowing our government, wholesale, to be bought," said Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.).
- Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) said: "He's not American. He doesn't know about our democracy. He doesn't know about our processes." (Musk was born in South Africa but became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2002).
- The Trump transition team and Musk's communications department at X did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The bottom line: "I'm going to be talking to my folks back home in Vermont who voted for Trump: You thought you voted for Trump, but in fact, Trump just caved to Musk," said Balint.
- "It's terrifying," she added.
