Trump said to see Elon Musk as useful activist after spending deal showdown

Musk's role in government shutdown drama could be a preview of role he plays for incoming president next year

Donald Trump's relationship with Elon Musk is showing no signs of fraying, even after at times he appeared to eclipse the president-elect's influence as he bullied House Republicans into paring down their bipartisan spending deal to avert a government shutdown with just hours to spare.

The move by Musk to detonate the political equivalent of a nuclear bomb - by demanding that Republicans sink the deal or face a primary challenge - was viewed as a test run of the kind of role Musk might play to pressure Congress once Trump takes office, people familiar with the matter said.