It feels like America slips closer and closer to the Twilight Zone every day. Elected officials are openly using their office to try and harass minorities, or throwing a tantrum over being held accountable for breaking laws, and the country’s wealthiest individuals are suddenly very open about using the system however it benefits them the most. But topping the list is billionaire Elon Musk and his blatant attempts to buy power in the U.S. government.
Musk donated millions of dollars to Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, and dedicated more of his time to campaigning for his fellow out-of-touch millionaire buddy than he’s ever spent with his 12 kids. Now, rumors are circulating that he intends to do the same with Nigel Farage in the U.K. in a bid to “save the West.” Across the globe, Musk is using his money and influence to install anyone he feels is best for his purposes the job, and it’s becoming clear that his billions and his ego constitute a force insurmountable by the average person.
Upping the ante beyond simply paying for his favorite politicians to assume office, Musk is using his substantial influence to affect policy decisions, effectively axing a spending bill that was moments away from being passed, and leaving House Speaker Mike Johnson the scapegoat. Now that the U.S. government is heading towards a shutdown, Republicans are desperately seeking a new Speaker, and the party is seriously eyeing the world’s wealthiest man.
Could Elon Musk become Speaker of the House?
If you ever wondered how Lex Luthor managed to land power after being a supervillain for decades, it’s this sort of short-sighted “F*** you” that manages it. There are ample moments in history to show us just how dangerous a precipice Musk’s potential appointment tips us toward, but as usual, Republicans only care about trolling. It goes without saying that we should refrain from anything Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks is a good idea, but this proposition really takes the cake.
Unfortunately for literally everyone in this country, there is no law, statute, or rule preventing someone who is not in Congress or otherwise an official part of the government from being Speaker of the House. That’s right, folks, it was a gentlemen’s agreement made in 1789 that has preserved the position this long, meaning it’s nothing more than our braindead elected officials standing in the way.
Speakers have been removed in the past, like early 20th century Illinois Republican Joseph Gurney Cannon, but it required bipartisan cooperation. Before frustration with Cannon’s controlling antics came to a head, he used his powers to strangle the opposition and only pass Republican bills for nearly a decade.
It’s a truly grody move on the Republican’s part to insert Musk, a man who was never elected to public office, into the Speaker position. We all know that if something were to happen to the President, the Vice President would step into the role. After the VP, however, the next up-and-comer to the Leader of the Free World is none other than the Speaker of the House. The potential Speaker appointment makes for a skin-crawling look at a future oligarchy: if Musk is able to buy his way into the upper echelons of Trump’s inner circle, eventually resulting in his appointment to President of the United States, there is no one with the funds to stop him. He is nearly $100 million richer than the next wealthiest man, Jeff Bezos, and while reports say Bezos isn’t falling in step with his rival, there’s no doubt he would find a way to make peace if the presidency suddenly fell into Musk’s lap.
Additionally, even without the specter of the American presidency, if Musk were to accept the Speaker position, there is no way he would be as present as needed. The man already sits on the board of six companies, is the co-chair of the ridiculous Department of Government Efficiency, and dedicates at least 3 hours to tweeting every day. While we can hope that this is just another Republican attempt to shock Democrats and elicit fear from voters, it’s best to contact your representatives so that when it comes time to vote, they’ll know just how unpopular the decision is.