WASHINGTON (AP) — A last-minute intervention by former President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk derailed House Speaker Mike Johnson’s government funding compromise Wednesday, throwing Washington into crisis and potentially endangering Johnson’s speakership just days before a looming shutdown deadline.
The $100 billion spending package, which included disaster relief and infrastructure funding, unraveled after Musk launched an early morning social media campaign against it on X, formerly Twitter. Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance later joined the opposition, demanding a stripped-down bill and an immediate debt ceiling increase during President Biden’s remaining weeks in office.
“This bill should not pass,” Musk declared in a series of posts, characterizing the legislation as filled with unnecessary spending and warning of electoral consequences for supporters in 2026.
The collapse leaves Congress scrambling to prevent a partial government shutdown by Friday midnight. It also exposed growing tensions between establishment Republicans and the Trump-aligned MAGA movement over governing priorities ahead of Trump’s anticipated return to power in January.
Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie told reporters that Johnson has lost his support for the next Congress, stating it would take “a Christmas miracle” to change his position. The speaker’s predicament echoes the fate of his predecessor Kevin McCarthy, who required 15 rounds of voting to secure his position before being ousted months later.
“The speaker doesn’t have the votes right now. He would need to be saved by Donald Trump,” said Bryan Lanza, a former senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) seized on the chaos, defending the original bipartisan agreement. “House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government and hurt everyday Americans all across this country,” Jeffries said.
The political turbulence coincided with the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s tenth consecutive day of losses, matching a record from the Ford administration and highlighting economic uncertainties as Trump prepares to return to office.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell offered a stark assessment of the situation, telling colleague Susan Collins, “Oh, this is the way it’s going to be next year.”
The crisis presents multiple challenges: Johnson must navigate between Trump’s demands and the practical needs of government operations; Democrats face pressure to either compromise or allow disruption during Biden’s final weeks; and Trump risks beginning his term amid administrative chaos.
North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer expressed frustration over Trump’s delayed intervention but remained cautiously optimistic about reaching a resolution. “It’s almost Christmas,” he noted, “it’s amazing what people might do to get home.”
The situation underscores broader questions about governance in Trump’s anticipated second term, particularly how he’ll balance his base’s anti-establishment demands with the practical requirements of running the federal government.
