Sen. Rand Paul Suggests Elon Musk as House Speaker After Spending Bill Fail
The ongoing collapse of the continuing resolution spending bill has cast a shadow over House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) leadership, leading some to question his ability to steer the House through contentious legislation. Among those raising eyebrows is Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R), who floated the controversial idea of replacing Johnson with billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk.
In a post on X Thursday morning, Paul, a staunch libertarian, argued that Musk could bring a much-needed, disruptive approach to the House Speaker role.
“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,” Paul wrote, adding, “(not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds).”
Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur known for leading companies such as Tesla and SpaceX, has long been a vocal critic of government waste. He has also actively participated in debates surrounding the recent spending bill, which has garnered backlash from conservatives. Musk condemned the bill for its excessive spending provisions and called for the removal of lawmakers who supported it.
“Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” he wrote on X Wednesday afternoon.
His criticism of the bill echoed the sentiments of many conservatives, including President-elect Donald Trump, who also demanded the bill be scrapped.
Although Paul’s suggestion is uncertain in its seriousness, it quickly went viral on social media, attracting widespread attention. The idea of appointing an outsider like Musk—someone with substantial influence and a reputation for challenging the status quo—appeals to many conservative critics of Washington’s so-called “swamp.”
“I’d be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House. DOGE can only truly be accomplished by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency. The establishment needs to be shattered just like it was yesterday. This could be the way,” wrote Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
“MEEEE LIKEY!!!” wrote actor Rob Schneider.
“Dear Santa, Please. Please!” wrote political pundit Kathleen McKinley.
“The amount of win this would be might just be what we need to start the year. Elon would make them lose their collective minds, and I’m personally here for it,” wrote one X user.
“I’m so on board with this, it isn’t even funny,” wrote another user.
Paul’s suggestion to replace Johnson with Musk highlights the discontent within the Republican ranks over how leadership has handled fiscal matters. For many conservatives, including Paul, Johnson’s approach to the spending bill has been seen as inadequate, leaving them searching for alternatives that could rein in government spending and disrupt the political establishment.
Johnson became Speaker of the House after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was removed from the position late last year. McCarthy’s ousting, initiated by eight Republican rebels, made him the first House Speaker in U.S. history to be voted out of office, according to Fox News.
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