Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
US Republican lawmakers are trying to dodge the crossfire between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, with members saying they hope the billionaire brawl will subside without hurting their chances to protect their majority in the 2026 midterm elections.
"It's just not helpful. When you have division, divided teams don't perform as well," Representative Don Bacon, a Republican whose Nebraska district is perennially among the most competitive House of Representatives races.
"I'm a military guy. I commanded five times. If you have division in your team it's not good," said Bacon, who served in the US Air Force for 30 years.
Musk, the world's richest person and CEO of Tesla was the biggest donor in the 2024 election cycle and a prominent fixture in Trump's White House as he ran a controversial campaign to slash the federal government before stepping down last week.
Their buddy-movie dynamic evaporated this week as Musk and Trump openly feuded over a sweeping tax-cut and spending bill that Musk blasted as likely to add significantly to the federal government's $36.2 trillion in debt. He called for Trump's impeachment -- something the Republican-controlled Congress is unlikely to take up -- and mused publicly about the creation of a new political party.
While Republican lawmakers did not regard that as a serious prospect, they signaled concern about the rift as they look to defend narrow majorities in the House and Senate next year.
"I don't think lashing out on the internet is the way to handle any kind of disagreement, especially when you have each other's cell phones," Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who runs a Musk-inspired government efficiency subcommittee, "So I hope this gets worked out," said Greene, who has a history of posting inflammatory rhetoric on social media that is often aimed at Democratic opponents.
Greene represents a solidly Republican district, but Republicans will need to break with historical precedent in 2026 if they are to win the roughly three-dozen competitive seats that determine the House majority. Their path is easier in the Senate, where Democrats have fewer opportunities to win seats, according to nonpartisan analysts.