Elon Musk shakes Washington. With his influence on social media and hundreds of millions of dollars in donations, Elon Musk is increasingly asserting himself as the true master of the White House.
Musk, the Most Powerful Man in America?
The political system of the United States did not foresee this. The founders established a whole system of checks and balances to prevent any individual or organization from concentrating too much power. But they mainly thought of political leaders, not private economic actors.
A new kind of influence is emerging with Elon Musk. The owner of X, Tesla, and SpaceX now has strong action levers. He can immediately rally the online crowd against his opponents, threaten funding for alternative candidates in elections, and use his government contracts as a means of pressure.
Towards a Shutdown?
The stalemate has ended. Despite all difficulties, Congress has voted to pass legislation funding the federal state, openly challenging Elon Musk and Donald Trump. A heavy defeat for the duo who wanted to prove they were in power even before the official inauguration on January 20.
The original text provided over $100 billion in aid to disaster-affected areas and $10 billion for American farmers. Later, Musk appeared, ordered X to 'kill the text,' and threatened to retaliate against any elected official who supported this text.
Musk is a very powerful man.
His arsenal is impressive. Musk not only tweets: he has invested over $250 million in Trump's campaign, owns the aerospace company SpaceX, relies on the entire U.S. space program, and leads a significant conservative faction in Silicon Valley.
Leaders have understood this. House Speaker Mike Johnson had to call both Trump and Musk to try to break the budget stalemate. This billionaire now frequently accompanies Trump in meetings with foreign heads of state.
Musk, the Savior of Humanity?
His supporters view him as a hero. To them, he is a reasonable conservative, committed to free speech and responsible public finance management.
His critics paint a darker picture: the portrait of an ally of authoritarian regimes, especially China and Russia, and extreme right-wing nationalist movements.
What Checks and Balances with Musk?
Congress seems powerless against online attacks and funding threats against opposition members. Trump, weakened by age and lawsuits, can no longer keep up.
The Democratic Party, soon to lose control of any branch of the federal government, is on the defensive.
Traditional media is gradually weakening to make way for social networks, one of the major social networks owned by... Musk himself.
Theoretically, other billionaires could balance him out, but they seem to prefer working with the newer regime.
Will Musk Soon Enter Congress?
The Democrats are still concerned. Senator Bernie Sanders spoke of 'President Musk,' while elected official Don Beyer indignantly stated: 'The Republicans are following his orders. It's crazy.' Strategist David Axelrod pointed out the contradictions between Musk's and Trump's positions, joking on CNN: 'They need to meet and decide who the president is.'
If some Republican lawmakers even propose Musk as Speaker of the House, others are beginning to worry about his influence.
Musk Faces Democracy
Ultimate power still lies in the hands of the people. If Musk's influence is based on his money, it operates in a democratic direction: his candidate must win the election, his message must be spread.
This first failure shows that America's checks and balances are still effective. Even with significant media influence and hundreds of millions of dollars in political investment, Musk still cannot impose his will on Congress.
The future remains uncertain. While this first confrontation ends with a victory for democratic institutions against the Trump-Musk duo, the question of checks and balances against the growing influence of billionaires in politics remains open.
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