Ro Khanna is buying and selling texts with Elon Musk. Josh Shapiro took a name from him. And John Fetterman has in contrast him to the superhero Tony Stark.
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to put in Musk because the federal authorities’s cutter-in-chief, some formidable Democrats are taking a hotter method to the billionaire businessman than their celebration leaders have up to now as he has turn out to be one probably the most influential folks on the planet.
“He’s had an plain impression on the Pennsylvania election, and I believe the election general,” Fetterman, the Democratic Pennsylvania senator, informed POLITICO. “I’ve warned Democrats, should you’re simply going to make enjoyable of it or to dismiss it, you do it at our peril. And I believe that’s very clear what occurred.”
Musk is the world’s richest man, and his corporations are serving to decide the way forward for area exploration, electrical autos, AI and social media. Democrats who’re making pleasant overtures to him mentioned that they need to form the pondering of somebody who could have an outsize microphone no matter what they do. They’re additionally wanting to encourage him to develop his companies of their backyards.
A few of them are additionally eyeing presidential runs in 2028, and should need to keep away from getting on his dangerous aspect for political causes. Musk spent $280 million this 12 months supporting Trump and different Republicans.
The connection between Democrats and Musk has been icy for the previous few years. President Joe Biden mentioned Musk’s ties to different nations have been “worthy of being checked out” and attacked him as a one-time “unlawful employee.” Musk, in flip, known as Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris every a “puppet.” Liberals additionally laughed off Musk’s buy of X and his efforts to prove the vote for Trump — with vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mocking him for “skipping like a dipshit” on stage at a rally.
However more and more, some Democrats are arguing that was the mistaken method and assume Musk performed an outsize function in serving to elect Trump — the most recent signal that the left is confronting the president-elect otherwise this time round. It’s an open query whether or not different Democrats will comply with go well with, and both profit or endure penalties.
Some Democrats stay deeply skeptical of Musk, who’s considered one of several billionaires and tech leaders Trump has tapped to employees his administration. They see Musk as an oligarch, and are involved about his plans to slash the federal authorities with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as incoming co-leaders of Trump’s Division of Authorities Effectivity.
“I reserve the precise to be shocked, however this appears to me like a coming kleptocracy, wherein all these billionaires are working the federal government to be able to rig the foundations,” mentioned Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). “So I’m fairly fucking skeptical that this can be a reputable effort.”
Khanna, a House Democrat who represents Silicon Valley and a possible future presidential candidate, has recognized Musk for greater than 10 years. In an interview, he known as Musk an “a rare entrepreneur” and mentioned that he suits the mould of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “dollar-a-year males,” the company executives who have been paid a symbolic wage of $1 yearly to assist the federal authorities mobilize for WWII.
Khanna mentioned he has “exchanged texts” with Musk since Trump tapped him to move DOGE. He declined to “go into non-public exchanges” however mentioned they’ve mentioned “the locations the place we will collaborate.”
“We now have a candid dialog. He additionally is aware of the place I disagree with him,” he mentioned. “We have to have interaction these technologists and builders to be a part of our coalition, however with out compromising our values.”
In a publish on X this month, Musk mentioned that Khanna is a “smart reasonable” after the lawmaker mentioned on TV that he disagreed with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed electrical automobile subsidy, which would likely exclude his company Tesla. Musk didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor who’s extensively seen as a prime 2028 presidential candidate, took a short call from Musk in October when the entrepreneur was sitting in businessman Thomas Tull’s field at a Steelers recreation. Tull and Musk have been reportedly speaking about investments in Pennsylvania when Tull determined to name Shapiro and put him on the telephone with Musk.
Shapiro told NBC that their dialog “was 100% on financial growth.”
“I’m all the time combating laborious to make it possible for people put money into Pennsylvania,” he mentioned. “We didn’t focus on politics. We clearly have utterly completely different views on politics, completely different decisions and candidates.”
A Shapiro spokesperson declined to offer extra info on the decision.
Fetterman, who can also be rumored to be eyeing a bid for the White Home, mentioned that he has not talked with Musk. However he mentioned he’s open to working with him to “lower waste” and argued that “it’s plain that he’s an innovator, and our American economic system is healthier due to him.” He cautioned Democrats to not dismiss him.
“If our authorities is issuing checks for billions for his corporations to rescue our astronauts, or he’s concerned in issues like AI and actually essential issues, it’s like he’s going to be a part of this dialog,” mentioned Fetterman. “And that’s a reality. And also you need it to be as productive as attainable.”
Even some progressive lawmakers have signaled that they’re open to working with Musk, encouraging him to have a look at the Pentagon for cuts. However their efforts are seemingly completely different from a few of their reasonable colleagues and as a substitute geared toward garnering consideration for his or her longtime targets — slashing the protection price range is considered one of them — whereas additionally holding Trump accountable for his populist marketing campaign guarantees.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) informed POLITICO that “If Elon Musk needs to vary authorities contracting to chop billions of {dollars} of waste out of the Pentagon price range, rely me in.” Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) mentioned that “I’m all in for chopping waste, making our authorities environment friendly and delivering for the folks of Georgia” and “I’ll work with whomever I’ve to work with, if I can, to get that executed.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) likewise posted on X, “Elon Musk is correct. The Pentagon, with a price range of $886 billion, simply failed its seventh audit in a row. It’s misplaced observe of billions.”
In some methods, Democrats are returning to kind with Musk. Earlier than changing into Trump’s prime ally, Musk beforehand known as himself a Democrat and voted for Biden in 2020. As president, Barack Obama met with Musk within the Oval Workplace and toured SpaceX with him.
In contrast, Musk has complained that Biden’s administration ignored Tesla, together with by excluding it from the White House’s electric vehicle event. Biden and Musk have additionally taken opposing views on labor organizing, with the president supporting the United Auto Employees and the Tesla CEO criticizing the union’s efforts at his firm. Musk made a rare visit to Biden’s White House last year, however the assembly was not with the president himself.
Throughout her presidential marketing campaign, Harris likewise held Musk at arm’s size, refusing a proposed interview with him. Whereas touring Pennsylvania in help of Trump, Musk said after the assassination attempts in opposition to the previous president that “no one even bothers to attempt to kill Kamala,” including, “It’s pointless. Why? They’ll simply get one other puppet.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the outgoing chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, mentioned that she is taking a wait-and-see method to Musk and DOGE.
“I by no means say by no means to working with any person, however I obtained to see what it’s, as a result of there’s plenty of controversies and hypocrisies which might be on the market,” mentioned Jayapal. “I’m gonna put collectively my very own checklist of the place I believe we needs to be chopping. And I’ve a sense it’s not gonna be the identical as their checklist. However I’m gonna strive.”
