Musk Subpoena Backfires, Dems Go Ballistic in Heated Showdown [WATCH]

The House Oversight Committee descended into turmoil on Wednesday after Democrats, who hold the minority in the chamber, failed in their attempt to subpoena Elon Musk for a deposition.

The heated exchange underscored ongoing tensions between Democrats and the DOGE team, a group of young government workers supported by the Trump administration, which has been working to eliminate federal waste.

Democrat lawmakers have repeatedly criticized Musk for his involvement in Washington, particularly as his DOGE team has taken steps to reform government agencies.

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Tensions escalated further after members of Musk’s team accessed the Treasury Department’s payment systems, triggering outrage among Democratic lawmakers.

The DOGE team has also been involved in cutting wasteful government spending, including efforts to dismantle what Republicans have referred to as a USAID slush fund that had been used for questionable financial activities.

President Donald Trump moved to shut down these funding streams, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and media allies.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Republicans successfully blocked Democrats from issuing a subpoena compelling Musk to testify.

Instead of inviting Musk to speak as part of their witness list, Democrats chose to bring in a college professor and later attempted a last-minute procedural vote to force Musk’s appearance.

Republicans on the Oversight Committee pushed back, calling the move a “performative vote” meant to create a political spectacle rather than conduct legitimate oversight.

FAKE NEWS ALERT

Oversight Democrats COULD HAVE invited Elon Musk for their witness slot.

Instead, they invited a college professor and then called for a performative vote in the middle of the hearing. https://t.co/7kQUzpuKXV pic.twitter.com/BtWJFnwHZn

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) February 5, 2025

Democrat Rep. Gerald Connolly expressed frustration over Musk’s growing influence in federal agencies, questioning how a private businessman could have such sweeping authority.

“It’s a puzzling role for many people, certainly on this side of the aisle, and I think for some on yours, who is this unelected billionaire that he can attempt to dismantle federal agencies, fire people, transfer them, offer them early retirement and have sweeping changes to agencies without any congressional review, oversight or concurrence,” Connolly said, according to ABC News.

The hearing took a dramatic turn when Democrat Rep. Melanie Stansbury attempted to interject, calling for order and demanding Musk be subpoenaed.

Oversight Chairman James Comer swiftly shut her down.

“Mr. Elon Musk is out of order!” Stansbury shouted during the proceedings.

CLIP from House Oversight Cmte hearing

“This is demagoguery. This is out of order”@RepJamesComer: “You’re out of order. You know you’re out of order. You know the rules.”@Rep_Stansbury: “Mr. Elon Musk is out of order!”

“Oh my God!” pic.twitter.com/DRzo01Tzns

— CSPAN (@cspan) February 5, 2025

Despite Democratic objections, the committee moved forward without a subpoena, ensuring that Musk would not be compelled to testify under oath at this time.

The decision represents a setback for Democrats who have sought to scrutinize Musk’s influence in Washington and his role in the broader government reform efforts spearheaded by the Trump administration.

With the battle over government spending and federal agency reform heating up, the clash over Musk and the DOGE team is unlikely to be the last showdown between House Republicans and Democrats.

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