Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) suggested on Thursday that Elon Musk could be the next Speaker of the House. Musk, who played a pivotal role in President-elect Donald Trump’s effort to reduce government waste, exerted significant influence on Republican House leaders, urging them to discard the spending bill proposed on Wednesday through a series of posts on X.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democrats included excessive spending in the continuing resolution, resembling a massive omnibus bill, as reported by Breitbart News’s Bradley Jaye. Johnson’s 1,547-page spending package, unveiled late Tuesday after multiple extended deadlines, quickly collapsed the following day as Republicans from across the spectrum voiced strong opposition to the bill, criticizing both its content and Johnson’s management of the negotiations and rollout.

The bill faced widespread criticism, with conservatives, moderates, and even a committee chairman decrying it for giving away too many concessions to Democrats. In response, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance issued a statement Thursday afternoon urging Republicans to push for a clean continuing resolution, adding only a provision to address the debt ceiling.

As the spending package unraveled, Paul appeared to express support for Musk to take on the role of Speaker. “The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress,” Paul posted on X. “Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk . . . think about it . . . nothing’s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds).”

The future of Johnson’s leadership now seems uncertain. Punchbowl reported on Wednesday evening that Johnson’s position as Speaker is becoming increasingly vulnerable. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) publicly stated he would no longer support Johnson, citing the recent CR failure as a turning point. Massie had been leaning against Johnson for some time, but the continuing resolution issue solidified his decision.

Multiple sources indicate that at least two other Republicans are also aligning with Massie’s position. Some of Johnson’s detractors are already quietly floating alternative candidates for Speaker behind the scenes, including House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, both of whom ran for Speaker after Kevin McCarthy’s ousting, but were unsuccessful. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is also mentioned as a possible contender.

Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) expressed uncertainty about supporting Johnson, revealing that there is ongoing behind-the-scenes discussion of potential alternatives. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) is reportedly leaning against Johnson, and Reps. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), and Cory Mills (R-Fla.) have refrained from committing. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) remains unpredictable in her stance.

On Thursday, Trump offered Johnson a potential path to retaining his position as Speaker in the next Congress. Trump’s plan for Johnson included a series of clear demands, though fulfilling them could be challenging in the face of a looming government shutdown before Christmas. According to Trump, Johnson can “easily remain speaker” if he “acts decisively and tough” and removes “all of the traps being set by Democrats” in the spending bill, as Trump told Fox News’s Brooke Singman.

{Matzav.com}