Republicans embrace "our prime minister" Elon Musk
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Elon Musk at the U.S Capitol on Dec. 5, 2024. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Republican members of Congress took to the Sunday shows to praise Trump lieutenant Elon Musk's involvement in last week's government funding saga, with one likening him to "our prime minister."
Why it matters: The tech billionaire's influence is being fueled by threats to fund electoral challenges against those who defy him, creating a powerful incentive for Republicans to go along with his demands.
- Democrats have harshly criticized Musk for lambasting and ultimately helping to kill a bipartisan government funding deal they struck with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) last week.
- Musk also threatened to fund "moderate" primary challenges against Democrats in solidly blue districts.
What they're saying: "It's kind of interesting, we have a president, we have a vice president, we have a speaker. It feels like Elon Musk is our prime minister," Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) said in a CBS "Face the Nation" hit.
- Gonzales said he spoke with Musk "a couple times this week," adding that "many of us" did so while acknowledging the Tesla CEO is "unelected."
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" that his idea to elect Musk as House speaker "might have been tongue-in-cheek," but, "I do appreciate his input."
- "Thank god Elon Musk bought Twitter, because that's the only way we would even know what's in this bill," Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) said of Musk's efforts to kill the bipartisan bill on CNN's "State of the Union."
Yes, but: Hagerty pushed back on Democrats' assertions that Musk is pulling Trump's strings, saying Trump is "clearly the leader" of the Republican Party.
- Musk's influence "doesn't bother me a bit," Haggerty said, adding he is "appreciative of the fact that President Trump has that type of talent available to advise him."
The other side: Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said on "State of the Union" that he is "concerned" about what Musk's role "is going to mean."
- Coons, like other Democrats, noted that the revised version of the spending bill excluded restrictions on outbound investment to China that were part of the original bill Musk harangued.
- "Given that Tesla has a major new factory in Shanghai, that may actually benefit Elon Musk's business," Coons alleged.
Go deeper: Musk barrages GOP to blow up "criminal" spending deal
