Washington (AFP) - Elon Musk’s role in wrecking a bipartisan Congress deal to avert a US government shutdown has underlined his extraordinary influence over the Republican Party and the incoming administration of Donald Trump.

In addition to his usual title of the world’s richest man, Democrats are now describing him as “President Musk.”

Musk has been tapped by Trump to run the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) agency, but the billionaire is throwing his weight around even before the president-elect takes office on January 20.

On Wednesday, shortly after 4:00 am, the hyperactive owner of Tesla and SpaceX used his social platform X to attack the budget bill hammered out by Republicans and Democrats in Congress to keep the federal government operating.

“This bill should not pass,” the 53-year-old Musk wrote in the first of what became a barrage of posts.

“Kill the bill,” he exhorted Republican members of the House of Representatives. “This bill is criminal.”

A number of Republican lawmakers quickly fell in line, with some even engaging in a bit of flattery.

“In five years in Congress, I’ve been awaiting a fundamental change in the dynamic,” Representative Dan Bishop commented on an X post by Musk. “It has arrived.”

Other right-wing members of Congress even went so far as to suggest that the South African-born Musk should take over as House speaker.

Trump himself joined the budget battle later in the day.

The 78-year-old president-elect denounced the spending bill as “ridiculous and extraordinarily expensive.”

The dramatic developments left the country facing a government shutdown just days before Christmas.

Musk rejoiced after the bill was torpedoed. “The voice of the people was heard,” he said. “This was a good day for America.”

He followed up by reposting a picture of himself in front of an American flag with the words “VOX POPULI” and “VOX DEI,” a Latin phrase which translates to “the voice of the people is the voice of God.”

After the intervention, Republicans in Congress on Thursday came up with a new funding package that satisfied Trump – and Musk.

- Who’s in charge? -

Democrats have painted the tech billionaire as unstable and a megalomaniac, and hope calling him “President Musk” will needle Trump.

“Democrats and Republicans spent months negotiating a bipartisan agreement to fund our government,” Senator Bernie Sanders said. “The richest man on Earth, President Elon Musk, doesn’t like it.

“Will Republicans kiss the ring?” Sanders asked. “Billionaires must not be allowed to run our government.”

Democratic Representative Jim McGovern said “at least we know who’s in charge.”

“He’s president and Trump is now vice president,” McGovern said.

Speaking on CNN, David Axelrod, who served as chief strategist for Barack Obama’s White House campaigns, said Musk and Trump need to “get together and decide who the president is.”

Musk’s rapid political ascension is unprecedented. While wealthy patrons have exerted influence before, no unelected businessman has ever wielded such political power.

Musk played a large role in the closing stages of Trump’s presidential campaign, appearing with him at a rally in Pennsylvania on the site where a gunman wounded the Republican candidate, and personally funding a reelection committee.

He has been omnipresent since Trump’s election victory, virtually taking up residence at Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago Florida where the incoming president is mapping out the transition.

Musk and Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, a space race rival, dined with Trump on Wednesday evening at Mar-a-Lago.

Musk has not been formally named to Trump’s cabinet but his expansive brief of cutting federal government spending has sparked conflict of interest concerns.

SpaceX, for example, depends for a large part on US government contracts.

Musk’s $270 million in political donations during the November election cycle made him the largest political donor in US history.

But he shelled out far more for Twitter (since re-branded as X) in 2022, paying $44 billion.

“It’s weird to think that Elon Musk will end up having paid far less for the United States Government than he did for Twitter,” joked George Conway, a conservative critic.