Elon Musk's influence on U.S. politics was scrutinized after Democratic lawmakers accused him of swaying Republican decisions during the government funding negotiations. Musk opposed the bill to his millions of followers on X, stating lawmakers supporting it should be voted out in two years. Critics mockingly referred to Musk as “President Musk." A Trump spokesperson reaffirmed Trump’s leadership of the Republican Party. Some lawmakers argued Republicans yielded to Musk’s demands tied to his interests, while others disputed this and stressed the importance of party unity given their narrow majority.