Musk Tweets His Support for McCarthy Amid Republican Gridlock

Elon Musk tweeted his support for Kevin McCarthy for House Speaker on Thursday, again using his social media platform to weigh in on US politics and back an old friend and ally.

(Bloomberg) — Elon Musk tweeted his support for Kevin McCarthy for House Speaker on Thursday, again using his social media platform to weigh in on US politics and back an old friend and ally.

Musk’s tweet early Thursday morning comes as the Republican standoff over who should lead their narrow House majority enters its third day. The chamber is at a standstill as 20 GOP members-elect say they won’t support McCarthy for the job, denying him the majority he needs. No other business can move forward until a speaker is elected.

This isn’t the first time that Musk has come to McCarthy’s aid. Shortly after Musk bought Twitter, he tweeted his support for Republicans in November’s midterm elections. Musk also appeared at a McCarthy fundraiser in Wyoming over the summer and Bloomberg reported that Musk has given $129,000 to committees connected to McCarthy, more than to any other politician.

Musk’s increasingly active role in US politics raises questions about the influence wielded by the chief executive of several companies, including Twitter, Tesla Inc and SpaceX, with implications for federal policy and national security. He has used his Twitter account with 124.6 million followers to opine on the war in Ukraine, an attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband and other political events and trends.

McCarthy has also helped Musk in the past and referred to the Twitter executive as one of his good friends. McCarthy was one of the very early supporters of SpaceX when Musk was still vying for Pentagon contracts.

Republicans have long complained about alleged liberal bias at Twitter, and they cheered Musk’s acquisition and promises to loosen content moderation policy. Musk’s Thursday tweet, however, is unlikely to sway the 20 Republicans who say McCarthy isn’t the right person to take Congress in a new direction.

–With assistance from Roxana Tiron.

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