U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) said last week his comments about the potential for Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to find corruption in Congress led to political repercussions, including discussions over a primary challenger to run against him in 2026, which the Tennessee Republican said has already depressed his fundraising.
Burchett said during an appearance on the “Two Guys One Coup” podcast that Congress lacks “enough people with enough guts to impeach” the various federal judges behind rulings that “impede” President Donald Trump and his agenda, divulging that he faced repercussions for his various predictions that DOGE investigations would lead to Congress.
“I told the president last week, I guess it was last Wednesday, I told him, ‘Look, you’ve got 100, 150 dadgum days, and this bunch will lose their guts,'” Burchett told the podcast hosts. “Because what’s going to happen is somebody’s wife or girlfriend is working for one of these NGOs.”
He told the hosts through laughter, “for the record, I am not suicidal, so if y’all find me tomorrow with 15 bullet holes to the back of my head, I did not do that, [but] they’re talking about primarying me, and it’s already affecting my funding.”
Burchett added, “The big boys tried to shut me down. They’d have to break my legs because I knock on doors; that drives them crazy.”
As a result of his recent public appearances and ostensibly Burchett’s refusal to participate in the type of scheme he described on the podcast, the representative said his opportunities for advancement are limited.
“The truth is that they come after you, they isolate you, and I’ll never be in leadership, and I’ll never chair a major committee because of two things: I don’t raise enough money, and I don’t kiss enough ass,” said Burchett.
Earlier in the podcast, Burchett referenced Sam Bankman-Fried, the incarcerated former crypto billionaire who famously donated to political campaigns before the implosion of his company, FTX.
“The majority of them were Democrats; there were some Republican shenanigans in there, too. Both parties were involved; that’s why that story went away,” said Burchett. “I think that is a perfect example of this whole situation and why we’ve got problems.”
A member of the House DOGE subcommittee, Burchett recently renewed his prediction that Musk’s investigations could lead to Congress after meeting with the billionaire.
“You’re probably going to see some people in Washington, and possibly some people in Congress, in handcuffs over some of this stuff because of the money and the graft,” said Burchett. “They think they’re slick, and there’s no paper trail, but there’s a trail. There’s a trail for every dollar, and Elon Musk has got a team together, and that’s why they’re squealing the most.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tim Burchett and Elon Musk” by Tim Burchett.
Please keep fighting for us Congressman. We fully support you now and will so in the next election.
Why I DESPISE RNC/GOP and TNGOP.
The worst part is the “big boys” believe they are entitled to behave this way. Cutting waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer money and resources means eliminating entitlement and incentive to commit those crimes. Congressman Burchett is correct, the lack of intestinal fortitude is stunning. The real solution is in the hands of we the people.