United States Senator Rand Paul, representing Kentucky, has endorsed Elon Musk as the next Speaker of the House.
In a statement shared on his official X account on Thursday, December 19, Senator Paul noted that the Speaker of the House does not need to be a member of Congress.
“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. (Not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds),” he stated.
Rand Paul’s comments come as House Speaker Mike Johnson faces criticism from within the Republican Party over his handling of an end-of-year spending deal.
On Tuesday, a measure introduced by Democrats and supported by Speaker Johnson proposed funding the government through March 14. The bill included over $100 billion in disaster relief, $10 billion in economic aid for farmers, health care reforms, and provisions to enhance transparency in live event ticketing.
However, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance condemned the plan in a joint statement on Wednesday, calling it “the most foolish and inept thing” Republicans in Congress have done, warning of the country potentially hitting the debt ceiling in 2025.
Elon Musk, who is set to co-lead Trump’s incoming administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), also criticised the proposed spending bill. On Wednesday, Musk posted on X that any lawmaker supporting the “outrageous” bill should be “voted out in 2 years.” He further urged, “This bill should not pass.”
In response to the backlash, Speaker Johnson’s team is now working on an alternative spending plan to appeal to Trump’s MAGA base, aiming to avoid a government shutdown before Friday’s deadline.
