Musk could ‘tank Donald Trump's entire legislative agenda': Farah Griffin
Former White House aide and current political pundit Alyssa Farah Griffin said tech billionaire Elon Musk has the power to derail President Trump's domestic agenda with his threats to primary Republicans who support the 'big, beautiful' spending package.
'Elon Musk basically could tank Donald Trump's entire legislative agenda,' Farah Griffin, a co-host on ABC's 'The View,' said Wednesday during the show.
She described the dynamic at play in Congress, as Republican lawmakers find themselves facing dueling pressures from Musk to oppose the bill and from the White House, to support it.
'If Republicans decide, 'Oh, we don't want to get on the wrong side of Elon' — that is what Donald Trump is banking it all on — and that's kind of devastating for his administration,' Farah Griffin said.
'On the flip side, those Republicans, if you're in a House district, you're like, 'I'm afraid of Donald Trump,' but Elon Musk, because of the dark money system we live in, he can come in and primary you by just pouring millions and millions into your race,' the former Trump staffer continued.
Musk's role as a special government employee and chief adviser of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ended last week, as he departed Washington to refocus on Tesla and his other companies.
He spent more than $250 million in the 2024 presidential election cycle working to get Republicans elected after endorsing Trump but said late last month he plans to take a step back from political spending in the future.
'If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it,' he said during a discussion at the Qatar Economic Forum. 'I do not currently see a reason.'
But amid his crusade this week against the GOP megabill, Musk suggested the sprawling legislation might be sufficient reason to get involved in the next campaign cycle.
'In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,' Musk posted on social platform X on Tuesday.
Farah Griffin noted that the billionaire tech mogul spent millions on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race alone and just needs to 'peel off a handful of Republicans this cycle' to give Democrats control of the House.'
'The entire balance of power in the House of Representatives could stand on if Elon Musk actually follows through and primaries people who vote for the bill,' she said.
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