Sen. Mike Rounds said the relentless pressure that billionaire business mogul Elon Musk is putting on Congress is "nothing new" — even if it is coming from the world’s richest person.
“I know that some people out there are saying, ‘Well, he's putting pressure on everybody.’ That's nothing new. We get that kind of pressure on a regular basis,” South Dakota Republican Mike Rounds said in an interview on Monday's POLITICO Tech podcast.
Rounds, who serves on the Intelligence and Armed Services committees, and has been a key voice on AI and cybersecurity policy on Capitol Hill, was responding to questions about Musk's influence after the billionaire tanked a bipartisan spending deal in the House last week and sent lawmakers scrambling.
Musk torched the plan to his 200 million followers on X, the social media platform he owns, and President-elect Donald Trump called on Republicans to reject the deal. A subsequent spending bill backed by Trump and Musk failed to pass. The House ultimately passed a bill late Friday in a 366-34 vote.
“Well, look, I mean, it's pressure,” Rounds added. “But, you know, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
Musk was one of Trump’s biggest benefactors on the campaign trail and has been attached to the president-elect since his victory — weighing in on Cabinet appointments, meeting with foreign leaders and, increasingly, swaying dealmaking in Congress.
But Musk’s ill-defined role raises questions about the unchecked influence of billionaires. He was not elected by voters or given a role in the new administration that’s subject to ethics rules or congressional oversight. And he’s vowed to fund primary challengersfor lawmakers who don’t fall in line.
“He's not accountable to us,” Rounds said. “[I] would assume that he is accountable to the president because the president is the one who is allowing him to advise him. The president is listening to what he has to say, but he's accountable to the president. And I think he would acknowledge that.”
Listen to the full interview with Rounds on POLITICO Tech, available on Apple, Spotify, Audible or your preferred podcast player.
