Elon Musk bullied the entire congress into shutting down the government.

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk is facing a storm of backlash after allegedly orchestrating a government shutdown, with accusations that every single Republican in Congress “bent the knee” to his demands. The move has ignited fierce debates across social media platforms, where Musk is being labeled everything from “President Elon” to “the real voice of God,” as one user sarcastically remarked.

The drama began when Musk, reportedly worth a staggering $450 billion, used his platform on X (formerly Twitter) to pressure lawmakers into rejecting the appropriations bill that would have kept the government running. “He has been tweeting all day, threatening them, telling them they would be voted out next election if they voted yes,” one observer noted. The comment quickly sparked outrage, with critics calling his actions “corrupt” and “a blatant abuse of power.”

Online, the sentiment is clear. “The world’s richest man, claiming to be the voice of the people. Alrighty-dighty,” one person commented, highlighting the irony of a billionaire self-styling as a populist. Another wrote, “For the life of me, I cannot imagine having that much money and giving a shit about any of this stuff. How can anyone with this much money care about this?” Theories abound, with some suggesting Musk’s true motivations are tied to personal preservation. “He cares because buying Trump is keeping him out of prison,” one commenter claimed.

The alleged collusion between Musk and Trump has become a central talking point. “What a mutually beneficial, yet assuring mutual destruction, kind of codependent relationship Trump and Musk have,” a Reddit user quipped. Others predict that the partnership will eventually collapse under its own weight. “Trump will take to Truth Social and call Elon a hack, while Elon will take to Twitter and call Trump a pedo,” one user said, predicting a fiery fallout.

The growing narrative that Musk is now the “real president” has taken on a life of its own. “Two different high-ranking people on primetime news called him President Elon and Vice-President Trump. It was hilarious,” one commenter noted. Calls to get #PresidentMusk trending on social media have only fueled the fire. “Get President Musk trending on all social media. You’ll see how fast Trump drops him,” suggested one user. The idea caught on fast, with another urging people to “flood the news cycle with how Musk is in charge now” to provoke Trump’s well-documented narcissistic tendencies.

But it’s not just social media chatter. Bernie Sanders was cited as directly blaming Musk for the government shutdown, reportedly referring to him as “President Elon Musk.” The political move drew applause from some and skepticism from others, with one person remarking, “Bernie playing it smart.” Others saw an opportunity for strategic trolling, with suggestions that journalists at Trump’s press conferences should ask him, “Where’s Elon, can we hear from Elon?” to stir the pot.

Amidst all the chaos, many noted how surreal it all felt. “What kind of f***ed up timeline is this?” one user asked, while another said, “I hate it here.” The notion that a tech billionaire could wield this level of influence over Congress didn’t sit well with the public. “Nobody elected Elon, WTF?” one user declared. Another pointed out how unprecedented it was for one unelected person to hold so much power. “If elected Democrats started using ‘Elon is the real President’ talking points, Elon would be cast aside by the end of the week,” one comment read.

The shutdown itself has people fuming. Government employees, especially air traffic controllers, are recalling the 2018 shutdown, when airports in New York shut down due to staff shortages. “The last time this happened, not enough controllers showed up to work for free, and all the airports in NY shut down. The shutdown ended that day,” one user explained, hinting that history could repeat itself.

But the consequences of a shutdown could go even further this time. “If the government shuts down, all the Secret Service can just go home,” one person speculated, imagining a scene where “Orange Hitler tries to get sworn in with tumbleweeds blowing in the wind.” The idea of Trump standing on an empty Capitol lawn without any staff or security drew dark amusement from several users. “Secret service sent home you say? /Luiginoises,” joked one person, referencing the internet’s latest anti-CEO meme hero, “Luigi.”

Beyond the humor, many users see a much darker reality at play. The Republican Party’s perceived submission to Musk was seen as a sign of corruption. “They’re not scared of him, they’re complicit with him,” one commenter argued. Another pointed out the bizarre optics of shutting down the government right before Trump’s inauguration. “Shut down the government right before your guy gets into office? Baffling that anyone thinks these people are intelligent,” they wrote.

There were repeated calls for Congress to “grow a backbone” and stand up to Musk. “Congress needs to grow a backbone and shut him the f*** down,” one user stated bluntly. Another commenter suggested a more strategic approach, arguing that if Republicans called Musk’s bluff, they could “spend the next seven years on a crusade to ruin his life.” Others weren’t so optimistic, with one user pointing out that “Red Congress is corrupt just like Trump, except they aren’t as stupid, but they are cowards.”

The sheer scale of Musk’s wealth became a topic of its own, with many users marveling at the numbers. “He has enough money to pay for every single American cancer patient’s treatment, AND every student loan in the country… he could be a generational hero that would be fawned over for history… but instead we get this,” one comment read. Another explained just how much wealth Musk has amassed: “Just to emphasize how obscene that sum of money is, it’s enough to pay yourself a million-dollar salary for 450,000 years. Like longer than humans have even been a species.”

The notion that Musk sees himself as a messianic figure wasn’t lost on commenters either. “Not just ‘voice of the people,’ he actually tweeted ‘voice of God,’” one user pointed out. The reaction was swift and cutting, with one response reading, “He keeps this up, he may very well meet God very soon.” Another suggested that billionaire CEOs should be on edge, saying, “All the CEOs should be a little worried about that, and I think they are, if the ‘peasants’ of this country really go French on their asses.”

Conversations surrounding the shutdown, Musk’s rise to power, and the submission of Congress are still evolving. The imagery of “President Elon” and “Vice President Trump” continues to flood social media, with people joking about how easily Trump could be baited. “If anyone interviews Trump, just start asking him, ‘How does it feel to bask in Elon’s greatness?’ and watch the fireworks,” one user suggested. Another commenter said, “Interviewers should ask Trump if he’s just following Elon’s orders now. Watch his brain short-circuit.”

In this wild political saga, the underlying theme is one of misplaced power, unchecked influence, and the growing chasm between the ultra-wealthy and ordinary people. “When you have a country that votes with their wallet, those with no money have no votes,” one user said, capturing the bleak sentiment many feel about the situation.

As public anger grows, many are wondering if this is the moment when Congress or even Trump himself pushes back against Musk. Until then, the image of Musk as a self-proclaimed “voice of God” remains a fitting, if not unsettling, symbol of where power resides in the modern age.