‘President Musk?’: Democrats Criticize DOGE Influence After Spending Bill Fails

Elon Musk pushed against the 1,500-page stopgap spending bill early Wednesday, arguing it impeded the goals of the Department of Government Efficiency he and Vivek Ramaswamy are set to lead. 

The Details: Following the criticisms of Musk and Ramaswamy, several House Republicans voiced concerns with the bill and, by Wednesday afternoon, President-elect Trump and Vance came out against it. Trump asked the House to pass a clean continuing resolution and a measure to raise the debt ceiling. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-MD), when asked whether he had spoken to Musk about the bill, said, “I don’t need to. I read his tweets.” House Republicans then introduced a slimmed-down Musk and Trump-backed bill, which failed, and the government now faces a shutdown.

Democratic Reactions: Several Democrats said Musk was playing the role of president and derided the influence of billionaires on congressional proceedings. “And just like that, Republican Unelected Co-President Elon Musk has killed the bill to keep the government from shutting down on Friday. All he had to do was make a few social media posts,” Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) said. "Democrats and Republicans spent months negotiating a bipartisan agreement to fund our government. The richest man on Earth, President Elon Musk, doesn’t like it. Will Republicans kiss the ring? Billionaires must not be allowed to run our government." Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) added.

How the Media Covered It: Fox News' (Right bias) headline said, "Dems complain 'President Musk' running the show," while Mediaite (Lean Left bias) focused on Trump, writing, "House Democrat Rips ‘Puppet President-Elect’ Trump For Following Elon Musk’s Lead." The Hill (Center bias) highlighted several Republicans who were also critical of Musk's influence.