Elon Musk warns Republicans not to stand in Trump’s way, or his own

A week after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, Elon Musk said his political action committee would have “a significant role in the primaries.”

The following week, the billionaire responded to a report suggesting he could fund those who challenge GOP House members who do not support Trump’s nominees. ”How else? There is no other way,” Musk wrote on X, as he renamed Twitter after his purchase, turning the social network into a platform for conservative voices, including his own.

And during his recent visit to Capitol Hill, Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy issued a warning to Republicans not to align with their plans to cut spending as part of Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency.

“Elon and Vivek talked about having a disobedient list and a good list for members of Congress and senators, and how we vote and how we are spending the American people’s money,” said Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican representative of Georgia.

Trump’s second term includes the specter of the world’s richest man acting as his political enforcer. There is a sense within the president-elect’s team that Musk not only supports Trump’s agenda and appointments, but is determined to make them happen to the point of putting pressure on Republicans who may be less supportive.

A Trump adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal political dynamics, noted that Musk had come to enjoy his role in the campaign and clearly had the resources to remain involved.

The adviser and others noted that Musk’s role is still taking shape. And Musk, who was once a supporter of former President Barack Obama before veering to the right in recent years, is famous for his volubility.

“I think it was really important for this election. Buying Twitter, truly turning it into a free expression platform, I think was essential to this election, to Donald Trump’s victory,” said outgoing Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of the president-elect. “But I don’t know if he wants to be in politics. “I think he considers himself an outsider.”

During the presidential campaign, Musk contributed approximately $200 million to America PAC, a campaign committee to reach Trump voters online and in person in the seven battleground states, which the Republican won. He also invested $20 million in a group called RBG PAC, which aired ads suggesting Trump would not sign a national abortion ban even though the former president nominated three of the judges who struck down a federal right to the procedure.

Musk’s donation to RBG PAC — a name that evokes the initials of former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an abortion rights advocate — was not revealed until Thursday, when post-election campaign statements were made public.

Musk has said he hopes to keep America PAC funded and operational. Additionally, he has used his megaphone on X to suggest that he is at least open to challenging less enthusiastic Trump supporters in Congress.

Another key ally of the Trump campaign has been more aggressive online. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose group Turning Point Action also worked to mobilize voters for the Republican, named party senators he wants to attack.

“This is not a joke. Financing is already being put together. Donors are calling like crazy. There are going to be primaries,” Kirk said on his podcast, pointing to Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa, Jim Risch of Idaho, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Thom Tillis of North Carolina as possible targets. These four seats will be up for grabs in 2026.

For now, Musk has been basking in the glow of his latest conquest, participating alongside Trump in high-level meetings and galas at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

The incoming administration is filled with Musk allies, such as venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks, who will serve as “White House AI and Crypto Czar,” and Jared Isaacman, a technology billionaire who bought a series of Musk’s SpaceX spaceflights, proposed to lead NASA.

Musk could help bolster Trump’s agenda immediately, some GOP strategists suggested, using America PAC to pressure key Republicans.

Additionally, Musk could begin targeting moderate Democrats in key states and districts this spring, urging them to break with their party on crucial issues, Republican strategist Chris Pack said.

“Instead of using his influence to twist the arms of the Republican Party when you have a majority in both chambers, he could start going after Democrats who vote against Trump’s agenda in states where the election was a referendum for Trump,” he said. Pack, former communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “Otherwise, if you pressure Republicans with a primary, you may end up with a Republican who can’t win and a Democrat in that seat.”

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