“Republican Party hijacked by Elon Musk” — Hillary Clinton

In a fiery critique that has reignited debates over the influence of billionaires in politics, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has taken aim at Elon Musk amidst the spending standoff on Capitol Hill.

Clinton’s sharp rebuke came as House Democrats accused ‘Extreme MAGA’ Republicans of orchestrating a government shutdown. The deadline looms large, with the U.S. government on the brink of a partial shutdown at midnight Saturday if no agreement is reached to extend funding to March 2024.

“If you’re just catching up: the Republican Party, taking orders from the world’s richest man, is on course to shut down the government over the holidays,” Clinton wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Stopping paychecks for our troops and nutrition benefits for low-income families just in time for Christmas.”

At the center of the controversy is Elon Musk, the tech mogul who has become an unlikely power player in political negotiations.

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Fox News reports that Elon Musk vehemently opposed the original spending deal brokered by House Speaker Mike Johnson, threatening to back primary challenges against any Republican who supported it.

House Republicans attempted to salvage the situation with a revised proposal that included disaster aid and a two-year suspension of the debt ceiling, aligning with a request from President-elect Donald Trump. Yet, the measure failed in the House, as internal GOP divisions and united Democratic opposition left the proposal dead in the water.

Musk’s involvement has drawn ire from both sides of the aisle, with critics questioning how one individual’s financial clout could steer political outcomes of national consequence. The clash has further fueled debates about the accountability of lawmakers who appear beholden to powerful benefactors.