A growing number of Republican lawmakers are urging Elon Musk to consider a surprising new role after he publicly condemned House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Continuing Resolution (CR) spending bill, effectively leading to its demise.
Musk, currently serving as co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency, called the temporary spending bill “almost criminal” in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He further argued that any Republican lawmaker supporting it “deserves to be voted out in 2 years!”
The CR, introduced by Johnson, was initially promoted as a necessary package to provide disaster relief for hurricane recovery, support for American farmers, and measures to prevent a government shutdown. However, GOP officials soon discovered it contained several controversial provisions, including excessive spending, congressional pay raises, special interest giveaways, and, according to Breitbart, a “one-year extension of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC), which funds organizations that censor conservative media.” Musk’s team also highlighted additional items in the bill, such as funding for a new Washington, D.C. football stadium and 72 pages of “Pandemic Preparedness and Response” policies.
Musk’s criticism has sparked widespread support from Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, who echoed his concerns. Vance described the bill as a massive giveaway that included sweetheart provisions for political insiders, a cover-up of records from the January 6 committee, and raises for Congress members during a time when many Americans are struggling financially.
In light of these issues, some Republican lawmakers have begun to distance themselves from Johnson. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) took the criticism further by floating Musk as a potential replacement for the House Speaker position.
“The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress… Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk. Think about it… nothing’s impossible. (Not to mention the joy of seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds),” Paul wrote on social media.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) joined the chorus of dissent, criticizing both the bill and Johnson’s leadership. “It’s ridiculous. It’s a horrible plan. I can’t believe that Republican leadership ever cooked it up,” Hawley said, adding, “Clearly, they didn’t talk to Trump about it… we need to have a serious look at who’s leading this Congress because if this is the best they could do, it’s total incompetence.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has also voiced her disapproval of Johnson’s leadership and even suggested Musk for Speaker via a poll on X. “Would you support @elonmusk for Speaker of the House?” Greene asked. She highlighted the Speaker’s significant role in controlling policy, appropriations, and potential reforms such as term limits and a balanced budget amendment.
While the idea of Musk stepping into the political arena as Speaker may seem far-fetched, it has clearly struck a nerve with some Republicans, who are increasingly frustrated with the status quo in Washington.
