Musk Supports Mike Johnson for Speaker Position

December 30, 2024 TruthUSA

The technology mogul publicly backed House Speaker Mike Johnson just hours after Trump offered his endorsement.

Elon Musk, the tech mogul, expressed his support for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to keep the speaker’s position on December 30, just ahead of the expected vote among members.

Musk’s endorsement of Johnson came shortly after President-elect Donald Trump declared his “complete and total endorsement,” stating that he is “a good, hard-working, religious man.”

“I share the same sentiment!” Musk wrote on his social media platform, X, confirming that Johnson had his “full support.”

This backing might catch some off guard, given Musk’s previous objections to a recently unraveled spending agreement that Johnson negotiated with congressional Democrats earlier this month.

The legislation, which spanned over 1,500 pages, aimed to merge a short-term government funding extension with various policy proposals, including a pay increase for congressional members, yet it failed to address the looming debt ceiling deadline.

Musk, an ally of Trump with a significant following on X, called on lawmakers to reject the bill through a series of social media posts.

“Any member of the House or Senate who backs this irresponsible spending legislation should be voted out in two years!” he declared in one post.

Following Musk’s objections, later echoed by Trump, Johnson and other lawmakers worked swiftly to construct a new deal to avert a government shutdown.

Musk’s position on the original proposal garnered him accolades from the more conservative faction of Congress, with some lawmakers even suggesting that he could assume the role of House speaker.

“Nothing would disrupt the establishment more than electing Elon Musk,” stated Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), pointing out that the speaker does not have to be a member of Congress.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has had a tumultuous working relationship with Johnson, also mentioned she would be “open to supporting” Musk for the speaker role.

Additionally, Musk has accepted Trump’s invitation to lead a new cost-cutting advisory group called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

To reclaim his position as speaker, Johnson requires backing from a majority of the House. In the session scheduled for January 3, 219 Republicans and 215 Democrats are expected to participate, leaving one vacancy due to former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) resignation.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has asserted that no Democrats will support Johnson. Consequently, the Louisiana congressman can only afford to lose one Republican vote to reach the 218-vote threshold necessary.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has already indicated his refusal to back Johnson for speaker.

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) stated that she requires “assurances” that Johnson “won’t sell us out to the establishment.”

In a set of demands, Spartz urged the speaker on December 30 to present his strategy for executing Trump’s agenda.

“We need a vision and a detailed plan to fulfill President Trump’s agenda for the American people, which I have yet to see from our current speaker despite numerous discussions and public commitments,” she remarked.

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