Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of X, is already asserting his political influence even before Donald Trump, his ally, officially assumes the presidency.

On Wednesday, Musk spearheaded an effort to derail a bipartisan funding proposal, directly challenging House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other Republican leaders who were instrumental in drafting the bill. The revolt disrupted budget negotiations, leaving the legislative process in disarray and raising the likelihood of a government shutdown by the weekend.

“Yes,” confirmed House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., when reporters asked Wednesday evening if the proposed bill was now defunct.

Throughout the day, Musk took to X to express his dissatisfaction with the bill, posting over 100 times. He described the bill as “criminal,” urged his followers to contact their representatives, and shared numerous memes, including one depicting him wielding a sword against the bill and another referencing Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” movies. By evening, the term “Kill Bill” had become a trending topic on X in the United States.

In one of his posts, Musk declared, “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” When The Hill published an article highlighting this statement, Musk underscored his stance by sharing a screenshot of the headline.

Some of Musk’s claims were inaccurate. For example, he asserted that the bill included a 40% congressional pay raise, though the maximum potential increase for 2025 is only 3.8%, as per the Congressional Research Service. He also accused the bill of financing “bioweapon labs,” referencing a section about “biocontainment laboratories” aimed at enhancing the U.S. response to infectious diseases.

Additionally, Musk amplified a false claim that the bill allocated $3 billion for a new NFL stadium in Washington, D.C. He remarked that such funding “should not be funded by your tax dollars.” In reality, the bill simply transfers the jurisdiction of RFK Stadium from federal to local authorities in Washington, D.C., with no federal funds earmarked for the project. It explicitly prohibits federal financing for a stadium, requiring the district to bear all related costs.

Musk’s successful pushback on the bill led some Democrats to brand him with nicknames like “shadow president” and “co-president.”

Early Wednesday at 4:15 a.m. ET, Musk voiced his opposition on X, stating: “This bill should not pass.” His early denunciation positioned him as one of the first public figures to challenge the legislation. Thirteen hours later, Trump echoed Musk’s objections. In the interim, Musk had mounted an aggressive online campaign, condemning the bill for its 1,547-page length and significant expenditures, which he deemed “criminal.”

The bill, if passed, would have ensured government funding through mid-March. Without Congressional action, a government shutdown is anticipated to begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.

Despite his lack of political experience and a minimal voting record until recently, Musk’s influence is expanding. His vast wealth, ownership of X, and active support for Trump’s political resurgence have amplified his prominence in the political sphere.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire expressed concerns about Musk’s influence over Trump, stating, “You have to ask Donald Trump — if Elon Musk is making the decisions.”

A Trump transition team member explained the timing of Trump’s announcement, saying, “He let everyone wonder what he wanted to do. All eyes were on him. When he moved, it was over. He’s president before becoming president.”

President Biden’s term will conclude on Jan. 20, and Musk is slated to serve as a nongovernmental adviser in the Trump administration. His role as co-leader of a government efficiency commission is less formal than that of a Cabinet member or White House staffer, making it difficult to gauge his actual authority.

Musk did not respond to inquiries about whether he intends to engage in future legislative battles.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., commented on X: “Democrats and Republicans spent months negotiating a bipartisan agreement to fund our government. 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.”

Musk’s financial support for Trump and other Republicans totaled over $250 million during the Nov. 5 election cycle. Following these efforts, his personal fortune skyrocketed to over $450 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Notably, SpaceX, one of Musk’s companies, holds significant government contracts.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., took to Bluesky to remark, “Republican Unelected Co-President Elon Musk has killed the bill to keep the government from shutting down on Friday. All he had to do was make a few social media posts.” Musk appeared to acknowledge this sentiment with a “saluting face” emoji in response to a compliment on X about his influence.

Some Republican lawmakers praised Musk’s intervention but hesitated to attribute the bill’s failure solely to him. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., commented, “Elon put out a pretty serious post there. But you know, that’s the sentiment of the American people. This is why we won on Nov. 5. Everyone is sick and tired of overspending.”

Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., described Musk as “very influential,” while Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., quipped that he opposed the funding bill before Musk did, saying, “I appreciate Elon Musk following my lead.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., observed that Musk was either channeling or amplifying widespread public frustration, stating, “a lot of anger out there.”

However, a Senate Republican aide, speaking anonymously, downplayed Musk’s impact, cautioning that his involvement could backfire. “I think the CR was already cooked without Elon, but I wouldn’t be thrilled with him playing this role if I were Trump,” the aide noted, using the term “CR” to refer to the continuing resolution.

While Musk’s opposition appeared to shift public discourse, it wasn’t guaranteed to succeed. Early Wednesday, the betting site Polymarket predicted a 12% chance of a government shutdown. By the day’s end, after Musk’s relentless posting, the odds had climbed to 40%.

Many of Musk’s posts received tens of millions of views on X, with his initial announcement drawing 32 million impressions. One of his widely shared posts featured a photo of the bill alongside the question, “Ever seen…”

{Matzav.com}