Congressional leaders lined up Tuesday to pass a spending bill that would prevent a government shutdown — before Elon Musk, the “first friend” of newly elected President Donald Trump, joined the conversation in the early hours of Wednesday morning .
With a five-word post on X, Musk threw the process into chaos.
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“This bill should not be passed,” the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX wrote at 4:15 a.m. Eastern Time, a message that reverberated across Washington, where some saw it as the strongest signal yet of the new reality led by the “ Department of Finance’. Government Efficiency,” Trump’s nongovernmental panel charged with finding ways to reduce federal spending.
Over the next twelve hours, Musk went on a productive tirade against the bill — with more than 60 updates, some of which amplified false claims — that stood out even to a chronic poster whose broadcasts have captured an audience of more than 200 million followers. his largely uninhibited view of the site he owns.
By midday, Musk’s barrage became increasingly sharp, denouncing the bill as “terrible,” “criminal,” “outrageous,” “terrible,” “unconscionable,” “crazy,” and ultimately “an insane crime.” He also targeted those who would support it.
“Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this excessive spending bill deserves to be voted out of office within two years!” Musk wrote shortly after 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
To leaders in Washington, it seemed he meant business. Musk did not respond to a request for comment.
Musk’s word on the funding expansion reverberated around Capitol Hill, as lawmakers rushed to invoke his DOGE as a reason to reject legislation that would delay a government shutdown over the Christmas holidays.
“It’s good that they see this, that they see the failure of Congress now so that they can start and understand how to come after us when they get here,” said Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Missouri), a active member of the House DOGE Caucus.
About an hour after Musk’s threat of retaliation, the billionaire followed up with a new directive: “No bills should be passed by Congress before January 20, when @realDonaldTrump takes office.”
“None,” he added. “Zero.”
The approach appeared to work, as support crumbled even among some establishment Republicans who seemed more likely to support the measure. (A large bloc of conservative rebels already opposed the bill before Musk got involved.)
Burlison posted on A vote for this monstrosity is a vote against DOGE.”
Musk echoed the sentiment: “Absolutely,” he replied.
Alerted to the tech entrepreneur’s support, Burlison grinned and chuckled.
“It’s amazing,” he said, fist bumping an employee as he rode the subway in the basement of the Capitol.
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Maryland), chairman of the archconservative House Freedom Caucus, told The Washington Post that Musk’s opposition was in line with DOGE’s goals – and he was already getting results before Trump took office.
“He’s been given a huge responsibility to try to control the size and growth of the federal government, and I think, like a lot of people who are used to running businesses, they’re not going to wait until tomorrow to start” , Harris said. . “They are given a goal and start as quickly as possible.”
Underscoring the rapid pace of events, less than 12 hours after Musk first condemned the spending bill, the billionaire took a victory lap.
“Your elected representatives heard you and now the terrible bill is dead,” he said. “The voice of the people has triumphed!”
Longtime political observers were stunned by the rapid impact of Musk’s intervention.
Trump remained largely silent on the measure until Wednesday afternoon, putting Musk in the unusual position of having more influence on the bill than the incoming president. Finally, towards the end of the afternoon, Trump also voiced his opposition.
“Republicans need to get SMART and STRONG. “If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, call their bluff,” he said in a joint statement with newly elected Vice President JD Vance. “…THIS CHAOS WOULD NOT HAPPEN IF WE HAD A REAL PRESIDENT. WE WILL DO IT WITHIN 32 DAYS!”
But it was Musk who seemed to force the tipping point.
“Elon is having an incredible effect,” said Gordon Gray, executive director of the Pinpoint Policy Institute, a center-right think tank, who noted the “real-time” shift. “I struggle to remember another example where an unelected public figure has exerted such influence.”
Yet Musk’s campaign was based on or at least repeated some false claims.
He repeated the claim that the legislation includes a “40% pay increase for Congress,” calling it “unconscionable.” The DOGE report also stated on X that the legislation would increase pay for members of Congress from $174,000 to $243,000.
It is unclear where that number comes from. The legislation includes language that would allow a 3.8 percent pay increase to take effect, which would result in a pay increase for lawmakers of $6,600 — far less than what Musk claimed, according to a statement from Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) , who said he would oppose the bill because it allowed the wage increase. Congress has blocked its own cost-of-living increases since 2009.
Musk also amplified false claims that the legislation included $3 billion in federal funds for a new football stadium in the District. In effect, the facility would transfer the land where RFK Stadium is located to the local government, but it did not provide financing, and the city would still have to negotiate a stadium deal with the National Football League’s Washington Commanders.
Similarly, Musk shared accusations that the legislation included $60 billion in new aid to Ukraine. Two congressional aides and Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, said they had no idea where the figure came from and that the bill did not appear to include major new funds for Kiev. Congress approved $60 billion in aid to Ukraine this spring.
“I have no idea what he’s talking about – where does that come from? Maybe the bill that was passed in April?” said one of the aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter candidly. ‘It’s not there. If you have any evidence of that, I’d like to know.’
But the damage had already been done.
Just over a month after an election in which Musk provided $277 million to support Trump and other Republicans, the tech entrepreneur appeared to successfully scuttle a continuing resolution to shut down the government.
“A man who dropped $250 million in the last election without blinking and can mobilize Republican voters through his social media platform is an intimidating man,” said Robert Weissman, the co-chairman of Public Citizen , a consumer organization. interest group that supports restrictions on corporate spending in politics. “Now that he has shown his willingness to spend hundreds of millions of dollars, every politician knows they could be next. And those who are most vulnerable are the Republicans who may be prioritized.”
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