What's New
Senator Bernie Sanders is concerned about the future of America's political system following billionaire Elon Musk's influence on the House's efforts to pass a government spending bill this week.
On Thursday, Sander asked on X (formerly Twitter), "Are we still a democracy or have we already moved to oligarchy and authoritarianism?" The day before, he said Musk's objection to a version of the bill "is oligarchy at work."
Concerns about the direction of the U.S. political system aren't new. In recent years, some, including former President Jimmy Carter, have suggested the country is moving toward a governance model that privileges wealthy elites.
Most recently, some House Democrats agreed with Sanders, such as U.S. Representatives Summer Lee, Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Jasmine Crockett and Gerry Connolly, who all described Musk's actions as emblematic of an "oligarchy."
Newsweek has reached out for comment to Musk through X's press team via email on Friday.
Why It Matters
Musk, the owner of Tesla and X, has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to co-lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. But many Democratic lawmakers suggest Musk has become more than that and is working as a de facto leader of the GOP, given his involvement in the House spending bill.
Some Democrat lawmakers are even referring to Musk as "President Musk" and "Decider-in-Chief" after two plans to pass a spending bill this week and avert a government shutdown failed. Earlier in the week, Trump and Musk torpedoed a deal that House Speaker Mike Johnson had negotiated with Democrats.
Unlike a democracy, an oligarchy is a system where a small elite group holds power and makes governmental decisions. Sanders has repeatedly described the federal government as an oligarchy, particularly when highlighting the influence of technology giants and billionaires on the incoming Trump administration.
What To Know
When Musk urged congressional lawmakers to vote down the original bipartisan spending bill, he said any lawmaker who supported it should be voted out of office. Trump later echoed Musk's opposition, calling for a rise in the debt limit to be added and warning that any Republican who backed the bill could face a primary challenge.
A second spending bill, which would have extended government funding by three months, was voted down by the House on Thursday evening, with some Republicans breaking ranks to vote against the bill along with Democrats.
Musk has posted numerous social media posts about the shutdown. He wrote Friday morning: "Either the government should pass sensible bills that actually serve the people or shut it down!"
He has repeatedly used his popular social media platform and wealth to express and influence political opinion, which some critics see as moving the country toward a form of oligarchy.
The furor over avoiding a government shutdown has fueled GOP calls to oust Johnson from the speakership and replace him with Musk. The House will vote on a speaker for the new Congress in January.
What People Are Saying
Steven Cheung, Trump's communications director, told Newsweek in an email Friday: "Democrats are just big mad because they lost the election decisively and Joe Biden has gone completely AWOL."
Representative Connolly wrote on X on Friday: "Elon Musk is the original American oligarch. He is unelected, unaccountable, and riddled with conflicts of interest – including in the very legislation he is meddling with now. With Donald Trump as his puppet, we are in very dangerous territory."
Jeffrey Winters, director of the Equality Development and Globalization Studies program at Northwestern University, told Newsweek in an email on Friday: "Elon Musk is drawing a lot of attention. But oligarchy in the U.S. is not new. From the beginning it has been mixed with democracy in America. What is new is the balance shifting strongly in favor of oligarchs. The turning point was in 2010 with the Citizens United decision. The Supreme Court removed all limits on the use of wealth power in American politics."
GOP Senator Rand Paul wrote on X on Thursday: "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)."
Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin speaking to reporters Thursday: "We had many weeks of negotiation with the Republicans. We arrived at a bipartisan legislative compromise—the Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans, House Democrats, House Republicans—everybody agreed. And then it was blown up by Elon Musk, who apparently has become the fourth branch of government."
GOP Senator Mike Lee, who voted against the second bill, told Fox News: "He [Johnson] is a good man. He's been a good friend for a long time. But he's lost control of this process. I don't know how he can remain in power. Elon or Vivek [Ramaswamy] as speaker."
Representative Frost wrote on X on Wednesday: "An unelected billionaire was crowned co-President by the Republican Party. They've given him the influence to make a damn post that throws a spending bill into limbo cause House Republicans are scared of him. No greater example of oligarchy. Where the ultra-wealthy run the show."
What Happens Next
By late Friday, Congress had only a few hours to pass a stopgap spending measure before the government shuts down on Saturday.
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