The massive man makes his mark rapidly in Washington.
Photograph: Jose Luis Magana/AP Photograph
Ever since Donald Trump rewarded Elon Musk for his large election help by placing him in command of dismantling massive swaths of the federal authorities, nobody has been fairly positive what to consider it. Would main the unofficial Division of Authorities Effectivity (with Vivek Ramaswamy) be a fake job to maintain Musk blissful and busy (you understand, within the spare time left from operating his varied firms) whereas the actual adults applied Trump’s agenda? Or would possibly it unleash a powerfully damaging character with an unlimited social-media machine at his fingertips, one who is aware of nothing in regards to the public sector aside from how a lot he hates it?
It was typically assumed we’d discover out the reply to this key query as soon as Congress acquired transferring on finances laws to implement Trump’s agenda and DOGE both sniped from the sidelines or tried to big-foot its means into choices about spending and revenues. However Musk has jumped the gun.
With two days to go till federal authorities funding expires, Home Speaker Mike Johnson is attempting to move a stopgap spending invoice he negotiated with Democrats. Now Musk and Ramaswamy are firing off tweets blasting Johnson’s handiwork to hearty attaboys from MAGA-land and calling for a authorities shutdown that no person in Washington needs or had anticipated. A pattern:
Musk and firm have rapidly ignited a firestorm that’s sweeping grassroots conservatives and stampeding GOP members of Congress into opposing a invoice that the majority of them anticipated to simply move, albeit with plenty of Democratic votes in order that conservatives might posture in opposition to it. The coup de grace got here from Mar-a-Lago:
So now a blindsided Mike Johnson is scrambling to give you a plan B that Elon received’t kill, Politico experiences:
The Louisiana Republican is discussing dropping $100 billion in catastrophe assist plus different attachments and as an alternative passing a “clear CR” — then coping with the opposite points within the new yr, in accordance with two Republicans with information of the conversations. Along with catastrophe assist, that may imply dropping $30 billion for farmers, and a one-year extension of the farm invoice, amongst different gadgets, a minimum of for now.
This can make the many individuals within the southeast nonetheless ready for disaster-recovery help after Hurricane Helene very sad, together with plenty of farmers in deep-red Trump nation. And there’s zero assurance that taking this massive step again will entice any Democratic votes to offset the Home Republicans who will vote in opposition to any and all spending payments till the top of time. For that matter, any “clear” persevering with decision should move the Democratic-controlled Senate and be signed by Joe Biden. And all this must occur by midnight December 20 to keep away from a shutdown.
This newest missive (on Musk’s X platform, for what it’s price) from Home Democratic Chief Hakeem Jeffries suggests an sad Christmas for federal workers:
Irrespective of the way it seems, this can be a catastrophe for Johnson, who will quickly face an in depth reelection vote for Speaker. A sudden humiliation by the hands of the unelected co-director of an unfunded and unofficial entity received’t make it simpler. And it’s additionally unhealthy information for the incoming administration, the Congress, and the nation. If Elon Musk can work this form of damaging surprise in a matter of hours, who’s going to inform him there are limits to his energy? In all probability not Republicans in Congress.
