Republicans are downplaying considerations that the feud between President Trump and Elon Musk will hamper the occasion’s probabilities of defending their majorities within the Home and the Senate subsequent 12 months.
Within the midst of the escalating confrontation on Thursday, Musk claimed Trump wouldn’t have received the White Home with out him final 12 months and floated the thought of launching a 3rd occasion. Musk has additionally threatened to make use of his monetary conflict chest and platform to problem Republicans backing Trump’s legislative agenda.
Nonetheless, many Republicans say Trump’s affect inside the occasion is robust sufficient to resist any type of political problem from Musk. Others even say they nonetheless assume Musk is part of their workforce.
“I feel in the event you’re a Republican in a main and you’ve got Trump’s assist and Elon’s opposition, you’re going to be okay,” stated Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), including that the president would eclipse Musk “by a ten or 100-fold.”
Musk notably took credit score for Trump’s White Home throughout his keyboard conflict with Trump on Thursday, claiming Democrats would management the Home and maintain a 51 to 49 majority within the Senate.
The billionaire was the only largest donor within the 2024 normal election, spending practically $300 million. Musk’s political motion committee, America PAC, supported Trump and quite a lot of Republicans operating in key congressional races.
The PAC has remained lively throughout Trump’s second administration, spending over $18 million in a carefully watched race for a Wisconsin Supreme Court docket seat. The group has additionally promoted Trump’s work this cycle, releasing its first tv advert following Trump’s joint tackle to Congress earlier this 12 months.
However regardless of the sources poured into Wisconsin, the Democratic-backed candidate received the court docket seat in what was described by critics as a humiliation for Musk. America PAC spent tens of millions in 18 aggressive Home races. Ten of the PAC’s backed GOP Home candidates received their elections, whereas the opposite 8 misplaced.
“America PAC spent $20 million on Home races however none of that was tremendous consequential— none of it was on TV, simply digital and canvassing,” stated one nationwide Republican operative, who famous Musk was nonetheless on the GOP “workforce.”
Speaker Mike Johnson known as Musk “an enormous contributor within the final election” in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Field” on Friday, however stated it was in the end “an entire workforce effort.”
“I imply, President Trump is probably the most consequential political determine of his technology, of contemporary American historical past. He’s the one chargeable for that,” Johnson stated. “However all of us labored exhausting. We delivered the Home majority. I traveled the nation nonstop. I did over 360 marketing campaign occasions in 250 cities and 40 states, and I logged sufficient miles final 12 months to circle the globe 5 and a half instances. I imply, I contributed to it as effectively. All of our Home Republicans did.”
Democrats have spent a lot of the primary half of this 12 months making Musk a boogeyman of kinds, portray him as out of contact with most Individuals. The feud between Trump and Musk doesn’t look like altering that technique going into the midterms.
“Democrats are going to win by highlighting the truth that Republicans are failing at reducing prices as a result of they’re too busy pushing tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and large firms, whereas making the remainder of us pay for them,” stated Viet Shelton, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee. “Elon is, and eternally might be, an instantly-recognizable manifestation of the truth that Home Republicans don’t work for the American folks, they work for the billionaires.”
Some Republicans stay weary of Musk, noting his huge on-line following that’s made up of over 220 million followers on his platform X. Musk’s views on the debt are broadly shared by fiscally conservative voters.
“If Musk makes the nationwide debt and deficit his defining subject and begins backing candidates who share that focus, it may create an actual fracture contained in the GOP. Trump’s financial agenda has by no means been about fiscal restraint,” stated a former White Home communications aide who labored within the first Trump administration.
“If Musk begins channeling critical cash into candidates who need to draw a tough line on spending and debt, you possibly can see a Freedom Caucus 2.0 emerge — this time with monetary firepower and a mandate to push again on Trump and Speaker Johnson’s spending ambitions,” the aide stated.
However Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a member of the Home Freedom Caucus, threw chilly water on the notion that the feud may jeopardize Republicans within the midterms.
“No, I don’t assume so. Now everyone’s received to resolve that. All of us have one vote and we’ll see,” Norman instructed The Hill. “However I hope he retains doing what he’s doing and the workforce of individuals he put collectively, I need to do it statewide. Every state, I’d do exactly what he’s completed with the federal authorities,” he added, referring to Musk’s management on the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE).
DOGE Subcommittee Chair Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) famous the significance of all of Trump’s 2024 donors and supporters, together with Musk, however advised the 2 take their feud offline.
“I feel each single American that voted for us deserves credit score and Elon Musk is one vote,” Greene instructed reporters. “I’ve stated that each single vote and each single donor issues whether or not they’ve donated a greenback or a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars}.”
“I do not assume lashing out on the web is the best way to deal with any type of disagreement, particularly when you’ve gotten one another’s cell telephones,” she stated.
–Alex Gangitano and Emily Brooks contributed.