On Thursday night’s broadcast of The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Tennessee Republican Congressman Tim Burchett turned the tables on CNN and accused the network of overhyping the escalating feud between Elon Musk and President Trump while ignoring the very economic anxieties of working Americans.

The moment came during a panel, alongside Texas Democrat Vicente Gonzalez, where Collins pressed Burchett to weigh in on Musk’s recent explosive social media tirade against the President. In a series of posts, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO had called for Trump’s impeachment and endorsed JD Vance as his replacement, as well as baselessly accused Trump of being listed in the Epstein files, a move that stunned political observers and dominated headlines.

Burchett made his stance clear: “I’m on President Trump’s side. He’s our Commander-in-Chief. Elon Musk is a private citizen, he’s allowed to speak his mind, but he doesn’t have a vote in this.”

The Congressman was quick to downplay the drama, calling Musk’s remarks "bogus" and “personal,” especially referencing allegations Musk made about Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. “You don’t lie about someone like that, especially something so serious,” Burchett said.

But his main criticism wasn’t directed at the recent social media buzz, it was aimed squarely at the media. He then directed the conversation at Collins, and the media at large, “You, as a legitimate member of the media, should shake your head at that whole thing.”

“In two weeks, nobody will be talking about this,” Burchett said. “Y’all will be finding something else to run the country down about. It’s a shame the media seized on this, because America is more worried about paying more taxes right now.”

He warned that families in his constituency could be hit with a $1,400 annual tax hike if Congress doesn’t pass what the “Big Beautiful Bill”. He said, “A family of four making $70,000 a year can’t afford that.

Collins attempted to push back, “I don’t think this is the media's fault,” she said. “The President and the richest man in the world are in an open war right now.”

Burchett’s comments tapped into a larger sentiment; that media coverage has been focused more on clicks and hits than actually informing the American public factually. As inflation persists and legislative gridlock threatens Americans, political tabloid has dominated the media conversation. 

Whether Burchett’s warning will shift the news cycle remains to be seen. But his message was clear: the stakes weren’t in Musk’s reposts, they’re in American families’ checkbooks.

The entire transcript is below. Click "expand" to read.

CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins
6/5/2025
9:25:07 PM EST 

KAITLAN COLLINS: I'm joined by a pair of congressional sources tonight, Tennessee Republican Congressman Tim Burchett and Texas Democrat Congressman Vicente Gonzalez. And it's great to have you both here. Congressman Burchett, I'll start with you since you're the Republican here with us tonight, when you look at this battle happening between Elon Musk and President Trump, whose side are you on?

REP. TIM BURCHETT: Well, I'm on President Trump's side. He's our president, he's our Commander in Chief. Elon Musk is a private citizen. He's allowed to say anything he wants to say, and that's within his First Amendment rights.

COLLINS: What goes through your mind when you hear Elon Musk saying Trump should be impeached and replaced by JD Vance?

BURCHETT: Well, he doesn't have a– necessarily have a vote in that. The Democrats, that's what they want, of course, they want to impeach, that’s what they want to– they want to tie things up. He also said– made reference to President Trump on the Epstein Island. And could you imagine Joe Biden having that information, which he did, he would not get that out? That is– that is so bogus.

I mean, you as a legitimate member of the media, you should shake your head at that whole thing, that whole scenario. I just think it's– he's– he's upset, he's mad at the President, and he's firing off at him on his– on his social media.

COLLINS: So you think he went basically too low?

BURCHETT: Oh, I mean, you don't lie about somebody in this, especially something about that. And especially since Elon – I mean, how many pictures did you all put on the screen of Elon and X running out to the helicopter together and– and X running around the– the oval office with president trump in there–

COLLINS: –His son. 

BURCHETT: You know, I just don't– the whole thing is bogus. In two weeks from now nobody will be talking about it. They'll be back– y'all will be finding something else to run the country down about. And it's just– it's a shame that the media seized upon this, because America is more worried about paying more taxes right now, if we don't pass the Big Beautiful Bill, because the people in my district, a family of four making $70,000 a year, they're going to pay about 1,400 more dollars a year if we don't get this thing passed. 

COLLINS: Well, I don't think this is the media's fault that the President and the richest man in the world are in an open war happening right now.

(...)