Congressman Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), the son of civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson, is sounding the alarm on what he views as a concerning level of influence wielded by billionaire Elon Musk.
Speaking with The Kicker, Jackson expressed deep concerns over Musk’s involvement in government affairs and campaign financing.
“Elon Musk is not being elected to anything in the United States of America,” Jackson stated. “He's been able to go around campaign finance laws, putting up $270.7 million for Donald J. Trump. I don't know if he thinks that makes him president and Trump vice president. We have President Trump and Vice President Musk.”
Jackson took particular issue with Musk’s increasing entanglement in federal governance, questioning his access to government systems and personnel decisions.
“He should not have access to the federal government's payment system. He should not be firing people from the Office of Personnel Management. [He] should not be putting people—children, and I say that respectfully, 19 to 25 years old, at the age of my children—in charge of these federal government programs, taking our Social Security numbers. What he's doing is wrong,” Jackson added.
The congressman also linked Musk’s political maneuvers to his South African origins, suggesting that his views on governance may be influenced by his background.
“Mr. Musk comes from South Africa...He's trying to bring his South African values to America. We need to let him know we’re not going to settle for having apartheid in America,” he added.
Musk, for his part, defended his involvement in government affairs during a press conference held in the Oval Office earlier this week. When asked about accusations of attempting a hostile takeover, Musk dismissed the criticism, arguing that the election results gave him a clear mandate.
“Well, first of all, you couldn’t ask for a stronger mandate from the public. The public voted. We have a majority of the public vote, voting for President Trump. [He] won the House, we won the Senate,” Musk said.
He went on to assert that the election results reflected the will of the people.
“The people voted for major government reform. There should be no doubt about that. That was on the campaign. The President spoke about that at every rally. The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what people are going to get,” said Musk.
“They're going to get what they voted for, and a lot of times, people don’t get what they voted for. But, in this presidency, they are going to get what they voted for, and that’s what democracy is all about,” he added.
Jackson’s comments reflect broader concerns among some lawmakers about the role of billionaires in shaping political outcomes and government policy. As Musk continues to exert his influence in Washington, the debate over the intersection of wealth and political power is likely to intensify.
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