Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) has been a vocal and prominent opponent of the Trump administration’s deputization of Elon Musk, putting the billionaire in charge of a DOGE entity with broad powers to reshape the federal government — and even to roll back congressionally sanctioned appropriations like foreign aid and scientific research grants.
Smith gained a lot of attention while confronting Musk online last week, and that attention level rose again this weekend after her response to Musk’s demand that federal employees list their recent accomplishments or be fired.
.@ElonMusk I hate to break it to you but you aren’t my boss. I answer to the people of Minnesota.
But since you bring it up, I spent last week fighting to stop tax breaks for billionaires like you, paid for by defunding health care for moms and babies. https://t.co/gzarLmg3Z5
— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 23, 2025
Smith wrote back: “@ElonMusk I hate to break it to you but you aren’t my boss. I answer to the people of Minnesota. But since you bring it up, I spent last week fighting to stop tax breaks for billionaires like you, paid for by defunding health care for moms and babies.”
But even the attention that comes from a public battle with the world’s richest man wasn’t enough, as Smith points out in the post skewering Fox News, to help the conservative outlet distinguish her from other female lawmakers in Washington.
Smith wrote in response to Fox mistakenly using a photo of Sen. Tammy Baldwin instead of her in a story about the Smith-Musk dustup.
Smith replied with some snark: “That’s Tammy Baldwin — not me. You can keep track of all the hundreds of white men but it’s the 28 women in the Senate that trips you up, Fox News?”
That’s Tammy Baldwin — not me. You can keep track of all the hundreds of white men but it’s the 28 women in the Senate that trips you up, @FoxNews? pic.twitter.com/swMtV8MjYb
— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 25, 2025
Fox might not lack the ability to tell certain women apart, as Smith accuses, but the network does group liberal Democrats together without much distinction.
Sen. Baldwin (D-WI) has been playing a tune similar to Smith’s, pledging that she “won’t sit idly by and let seniors, children, and veterans have their health care ripped away.”
Republicans want tax cuts for the wealthy while working families struggle. That’s their plan.
I won’t sit idly by and let seniors, children, and veterans have their health care ripped away.https://t.co/LJiQqVKQQ4
— Sen. Tammy Baldwin (@SenatorBaldwin) February 25, 2025