Musk's maxed-out megaphone: Shutdown power play will be hard to repeat
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Wednesday's extraordinary display of Elon Musk's social media power saw the world's richest man funnel the anger of his hundreds of millions of online followers against a bipartisan compromise funding bill.
Why it matters: Musk's arresting demonstration of government-by-tweet left Washington reeling — but the magic trick will get harder to repeat.
The big picture: Shooting down a spending bill is a lot easier than passing one. Stopping government in its tracks is much easier than making it work.
- Beginning Jan. 20, Republicans will essentially control all three branches of government, and making it work will be their job.
How it works: Musk's X has become a partisan megaphone fine-tuned to promote its owner's own messages to a user base of MAGA supporters, libertarians, crypto enthusiasts, and fans of Musk himself.
- Its influence is strongest with Republican House members because its base overlaps with theirs.
- The other half of America has been voting with its feet, with many Democrats and progressives abandoning X in favor of a variety of online alternatives.
Between the lines: Musk's Wednesday call to arms took place at his point of maximum power.
- The legislators he wanted to pressure answer to the votes of the people who listen to him.
Yes, but: Republicans' control of Congress beginning in January will be precarious.
- The GOP has a margin of only a couple of votes in the House, and the new Senate majority will often hang on a handful of Republican moderates' votes.
- When it comes time to build any kind of coalition to pass a new law or a spending measure, Musk's megaphone is likely to prove a clumsy tool.
- If the Musk-led "Department of Government Efficiency" recommends cuts to Social Security or health care, mustering the same kind of support could be a lot harder — and, historically, opponents of such measures have found effective ways to exert their own "vox populi."
Right now, Trump and Musk seem to be on the same page. That could change any time.
- Trump-watchers suggest the president-elect's jealousy reflex could already have been triggered by Musk's high-profile power flex.
The "bully pulpit" got its name over a century ago, and American leaders have always urged the people to rise up and write, call or email their representatives.
- Musk's pulpit moves strikingly faster — getting results within hours on Wednesday.
What to watch: If Musk can repeat the trick, he will have ushered us into a new era.
- Then we'll have to figure out whether what's happening is really direct democracy, or rule by unelected billionaire.
Go deeper: Musk's unprecedented power
