When the billionaire called Rep. Rosa DeLauro an “awful creature,” it was a problem. When he called for the Democrat’s expulsion, it made the problem worse.

A top Republican lawmaker appears in desperate need of a lesson about how prime ministerial appointments, or even the basic principles of democracy, are actually supposed to work. Speaking with CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday,

Musk, the owner of car manufacturer Tesla and social media platform X, has been tapped by Trump to lead the proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, after vocally supporting and financially backing his campaign for president.

President-elect Donald Trump, after rejecting House Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to avoid a government shutdown, worked the phones on Thursday, showing wavering confidence in Johnson and claiming he is aligned with billionaire Elon Musk, who first posted multiple calls to kill the GOP-brokered spending deal.

Senator Elizabeth Warren on Saturday condemned billionaire Elon Musk for derailing a bipartisan government funding bill that included a significant package of health care policies.

Republicans warn the business leaders' lack of government experience could lead to clashes over spending decisions.

Democrats have started calling Elon Musk the "co-president" or "shadow president" to Trump. His team is making clear that's not true.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) says he will vote for either of the two options outlined by House Republicans to keep government open. He also responds to Elon Musk’s reaction to the latest funding proposals.

“No, he’s not taking the presidency,” Trump quipped before claiming Democrats were on a “new kick” regarding Musk. “All the different hoaxes, and the new one is, ‘President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon Musk.’ No, no, that’s not happening.”

There is no requirement that the Speaker of the House be an elected member of Congress. After Elon Musk all but killed a bill to fund the government, lawmakers now propose to cut out the middleman.

When it comes to controlling GOP leaders, Musk has a real advantage. Trump's favorite tool to keep politicians in line, threatening to run a primary opponent, makes even more sense for Musk, who can offer any such person limitless financial resources.