Sen. Rand Paul floats Musk to replace Mike Johnson as House speaker

Senator Rand Paul has suggested Elon Musk as a potential Speaker of the House, citing the billionaire's ability to disrupt the political establishment. This comes after Musk helped block a bipartisan agreement on a short-term spending bill. Paul's comments are significant as the first explicit suggestion of Musk for the role and come as current Speaker Mike Johnson's bid to keep his job is under threat. Musk has become a powerful voice in politics and a close confidant of President-elect Trump. Paul believes Musk's election would be a significant disruption to the political status quo. The Constitution does not require the Speaker to be a member of the House, although it has always been the case in practice. Non-members have been floated as potential Speakers in the past. Paul has long advocated for reducing government spending, but as a senator, he has limited influence over the House Speaker election. Meanwhile, Trump has expressed support for Johnson remaining as Speaker if he takes a tough stance against Democrats in the spending package. The suggestion of Musk as Speaker is seen as a way to shake up the political establishment.