Elon Musk shakes Washington. Between his influence on social media and his hundreds of millions of dollars in donations, Elon Musk increasingly imposes himself as the true master of the White House.
Musk, the most powerful man in America?
The American political system did not foresee this. The founding fathers established a whole system of checks and balances to prevent any one person or institution from concentrating too much power. But they mainly thought of political leaders, not private economic actors.
A new type of influence is emerging with Elon Musk. The owner of X, Tesla, and SpaceX now has multiple and powerful levers of action. He can instantly mobilize crowds online against his opponents, threaten to fund alternative candidates in elections, and use his government contracts as a means of pressure.
Towards a shutdown?
The standoff is over. Against all odds, Congress voted a law to fund the federal state, openly defying Elon Musk and Donald Trump. A crushing defeat for the duo who wanted to prove they were already in charge even before the official inauguration on January 20.
The initial text provided over 100 billion dollars in aid for areas affected by natural disasters and 10 billion for American farmers.
Musk then entered the scene, ordering on X to “kill the text” and threatening electoral retaliation against any elected official who would support it.
Musk is a very powerful man
His arsenal is impressive. Musk doesn’t just tweet: he has invested more than 250 million dollars in Trump’s campaign, owns the space company SpaceX, which depends on the entire American space program, and leads a significant conservative faction in Silicon Valley.
Leaders have understood this well. House Speaker Mike Johnson had to call both Trump and Musk to try to break the budget deadlock. The billionaire now regularly accompanies Trump during his meetings with foreign heads of state.
Musk, savior of humanity?
His supporters see him as a hero. For them, he is a reasonable conservative, committed to free speech and responsible management of public finances.
His detractors paint a darker picture: that of an ally of authoritarian regimes, notably China and Russia, and extreme-right nationalization movements.
What checks and balances against Musk?
Congress seems powerless in the face of online attacks and funding threats against opponents. Trump, weakened by age and lawsuits, no longer measures up.
The Democrats, soon to control no branches of the federal government, are on the defensive.
Traditional media are declining in favor of social networks, one of whose main ones is owned by… Musk himself.
Other billionaires could theoretically counterbalance him, but seem so far to prefer to work with the new regime.
Musk soon in Congress?
The Democratic camp remains alarmed. Senator Bernie Sanders is already speaking of “President Musk”, while elected official Don Beyer is outraged: “Republicans are following his orders. It’s crazy”. Strategist David Axelrod points out contradictions between Musk and Trump’s positions, joking on CNN: “They need to meet and decide who the president is.”
If some Republican lawmakers are even suggesting Musk as Speaker of the House, others are starting to worry about his influence.
Musk facing democracy
The ultimate power remains in the hands of citizens. If Musk’s influence relies on his money, it operates democratically: his candidates must win elections, his messages must resonate.
This first setback shows that American checks and balances still work. Even with considerable media influence and hundreds of millions of dollars in political investment, Musk did not manage to impose his will at Congress.
The future remains uncertain. While this first standoff ended in a victory for democratic institutions against the Trump-Musk duo, the question of the checks and balances against the growing influence of billionaires in politics remains open.
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Chaque jour, j’essaie d’enrichir mes connaissances sur cette révolution qui permettra à l’humanité d’avancer dans sa conquête de liberté.
DISCLAIMER
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
