Elon Musk commends Sen. Kristen Sinema for leaving the Democratic Party and I hope more of our elected leaders act independently, Elon Musk wrote on Twitter.
Sinema announced that he was now an independent and would no longer be formally considered a Democrat. Some of her Democratic allies are bidding her good salvation, but Sen. Kirsten Sinema has found at least one admirer in her decision to formally become an independent. It just so happens that this is the richest person in the world.
Good for @SenatorSinema Elon Musk wrote on Twitter. I hope more of our elected leaders will act independently, aka in the interest of the people. Sinema told POLITICO on Friday that her decision was based on the fact that she “never really aligned with any political party.
His decision is likely rooted more in apprehensions about a potential primary challenger than in any sort of political stance.
Elon Musk has encouraged his followers to vote Republican ahead of the midterms while trying to keep Twitter politically neutral while continuing his political journey. Elon Musk praised the qualities of independent voters who are not registered with any particular political party.
He did not mention that in some states this decision may also reduce the number of castes that can vote. Arizona is not one of those closed or partially closed primary states. Hardline Democrats or Republicans never vote for the other party, so independent voters are the ones who really decide who is in charge, Musk wrote on Twitter.
The Telsa CEO and new owner of Twitter has previously said he would support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis if Republicans decide to challenge Trump in 2024. Sinema’s decision on Capitol Hill is expected to have little practical impact on the Senate. The now-former Arizona Democrat rarely attended party luncheons where lawmakers expressed their views on issues.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also said Sinema would continue his committee duties and the Democrats would retain their effective 51-49 majority. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Angus King are also both independents who caucus with the Democrats. Sinema was a major thorn in the party’s efforts to raise taxes on wealthy Americans and pass a sweeping spending plan known as Build Back Better.
He later voted for the much smaller Inflation Reduction Act. Outside of policy, Sinema has been a reliable vote for top Biden administration nominees, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Still, some progressives celebrated his move.
Arizona Democratic Party chair Raquel Teran blasted Sinema as someone who has shown she answers to corporations and billionaires, not Arizonans. The executive board of the state Democratic Party first denounced Sinema for opposing changes to the filibuster so that the party could pass voting rights legislation.