Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) have both floated the idea of Elon Musk replacing Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House, pushing a bold and unconventional suggestion that’s making waves within the Republican Party.
Paul kicked off the conversation Thursday morning with a post on X (formerly Twitter), arguing that the Speaker of the House doesn’t have to be a member of Congress. “Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk,” Paul wrote. “Think about it. Nothing’s impossible. (Imagine the reaction from the establishment, aka ‘uniparty.’ It would be priceless.)”
Later that day, Greene backed up Paul’s idea, saying she would be open to supporting Musk for the position. “I’d be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House,” Greene posted. “DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) can only truly succeed by getting Congress to act more efficiently.” She went on to say that this move could be a way to break the establishment, adding, “The system needs to be shattered, just like it was yesterday.”
Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is also the co-leader of the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), a group aimed at reducing government spending and limiting the size of the federal government. Musk, along with his fellow DOGE co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy, has been an outspoken critic of Washington’s spending practices, even helping to lead opposition to a recent bipartisan spending deal.
The idea has drawn some pushback from Democrats. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) criticized Musk’s growing influence, calling it absurd for an unelected billionaire to play such a major role in shaping government policy. “It’s one thing when you have Donald Trump governing by tweet, but now you have Elon Musk, an unelected oligarch, controlling things from social media. This is ridiculous,” Goldman said on CNN.
While it’s unusual for non-members of Congress to be considered for the Speaker’s role, it’s not without precedent. In 2015, Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper (Tenn.) proposed former Secretary of State Colin Powell as a candidate for Speaker, though the effort was unsuccessful.
The idea of Elon Musk as Speaker reflects a growing trend among some Republicans to embrace outsiders and challenge the traditional power structures in Washington. As Musk’s influence within the GOP continues to grow, it’s clear that some party members are ready to let him take a more active role in shaping the future of the Republican Party.
