The chaotic collapse of the continuing resolution spending bill has put the leadership of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in the spotlight, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has called for Elon Paul to replace him. The idea of appointing Musk as the next president has been floated. President Trump named him co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Paul pitched Musk's X on Thursday morning the idea of a tech billionaire taking the House speaker's gavel, noting that the speaker doesn't have to be a sitting lawmaker.
“The Speaker of the House does not have to be a member of Congress… Nothing disrupts this swamp more than electing Elon Musk… Think about it… Nothing is impossible. (Collective system, (Needless to say my joy at witnessing the alias “Unionist Party”) “They will forever lose their loving hearts,” wrote Paul, a staunch liberal conservative on fiscal matters.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana, left) could face a leadership battle over his handling of the spending bill, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) faces Elon Musk's (right) Suggesting a successor. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images, left; Antonio Masiello/Getty Images, right.)
Trump, Musk face conservative outrage over spending bill, House Republican leaders scramble over Plan B
Musk, an outspoken critic of government spending, weighed in on the spending bill, led a conservative revolt against the latest plan due to its bloated spending provisions, and called on lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats. There is.
“Any Representative or Senator who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out within two years!” Musk wrote of X. The bill has angered conservatives, including President-elect Trump, who has called for its repeal.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) acknowledged to reporters as he left the Capitol on Wednesday night that a deal had fallen through. This came after Republican critics of the spending bill spent much of the day attacking Johnson's handling of the issue.
It's unclear whether Paul made the suggestion seriously or posted it as a joke.
Democratic political strategist Jimmy Williams balked at the idea.
“Senators should stick to the Senate, and House members should stick to the House,” Williams said of X. No,” he wrote.
But Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene supported the idea.
“I am willing to support @elonmusk as Speaker of the House,” Greene wrote to X, replying to Paul. “DOGE can only truly be achieved by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency. The system needs to be shattered like it was yesterday. This may be the way.”
Johnson became speaker after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted late last year in a move by eight Republican insurgents, making him the first House speaker to be voted out of office. It became.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) floated the idea of replacing House Speaker Mike Johnson with Elon Musk following the chaotic collapse of the continuing resolution spending bill. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said last week that no Democratic member of Congress would vote for Johnson on January 3, when a vote on Johnson's leadership is scheduled to take place.
With Republicans expected to hold a four-seat majority, there is no guarantee that Mr Johnson will retain the gavel.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that he would not vote for Mr. Johnson unless a “Christmas miracle” happens. Earlier this year, Mr Massey supported Mr Green's push to remove Mr Johnson from the chair, but in the end the majority of MPs from both parties voted to accelerate the removal effort.
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) has said she remains a registered Republican and will not caucus with Republicans, potentially further weakening Johnson's support.
Paul is not the only senator to comment on Johnson's leadership.
On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) took aim at the House speaker for the chaotic situation unfolding at the Capitol and proposed changes.
Elon Musk (right) weighed in on the spending bill, leading a conservative revolt against the latest plan due to its bloated spending provisions, and calling on lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“It's ridiculous. It's a horrible plan. I can't believe the Republican leadership concocted the plan,” Hawley told Hannity.
“Obviously they haven't discussed this with Trump. And we need to take a hard look at who's leading this Congress, because this is the best thing they can do. If so, that's total incompetence. This is a disaster.”
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Hawley said the latest plan would impose a “terrible spending bill” on the incoming administration and would need to be revisited in March.
“Under this bill, the government would have to shut down again and start over again, and we would have to raise the debt ceiling again later that same year,” he said.
“This bill here will add hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit. And the worst part is, it's all because of Democratic priorities.”
FOX News' Daniel Wallace and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
