Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) ripped Elon Musk for his social media posts that tanked support for a continuing resolution (CR) as Congress members work against a tight deadline to prevent a government shutdown.
“This is a leadership challenge that Mike Johnson has to define himself with. Are you going to get the right input from the right people to get this bill passed?” he asked during a Thursday evening appearance on CNN.
“Because, quite frankly, you can’t do it in a vacuum. And it doesn’t matter because, quite frankly, last time I checked, Elon Musk doesn’t have a vote in Congress.”
Some believe Musk convinced even the former president to discard a 1,500-page bill he’d previously seemed to support. The tech giant's posts on his social platform X cited the increase in national debt as a reason to sink the CR despite the ticking timeline.
“Now, he [Elon] has influence, and he’ll put pressure on us to do whatever he thinks the right thing is for him,” McCormick told anchor Katilan Collins.
“But I have 760,000 people that voted for me to do the right thing for them. And that’s what matters to me.”
Lawmakers have criticized Musk for weighing in on legislative matters as a trusted voice in President-elect Trump’s corner, while others have welcomed his advice.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said the SpaceX CEO should take on the House Speaker role, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) agreed that she was open to the idea.
Musk is set to co-lead the new "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), dedicated to reducing federal spending by trillions once Trump takes office in January.
