Donald Trump appears to endorse a looming government shutdown saying it would be President Joe Biden’s “problem to solve” even though Trump and his ally, right-wing billionaire Elon Musk, were the ones who blew up the original bipartisan spending deal.
“If there is going to be a shutdown of the government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under ‘TRUMP.’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This is a Biden problem to solve, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will!”
Earlier this week, lawmakers had a bipartisan plan to fund the government and prevent a shutdown days before Christmas.
The bill called for extending government spending at current levels until March and added other provisions like relief for disaster victims and farmers, a pay raise for members of Congress and health care policy extenders.
But Musk went on a rant on X, railing against the spending bill calling it a “scam,” a “criminal bill,” “an outrage,” “terrible,” and “madness.” He also suggested that any Republican who supported the measure will be primaried.
Hours later Trump and Vice-President-elect JD Vance released a joint statement agreeing with Musk that Republicans should kill the bill or risk facing a primary challenge. Trump also urged Republicans to suspend or eliminate the debt ceiling as part of any spending deal.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) then introduced a second bill to prevent a government shutdown and suspend the debt limit as Trump requested.
But that bill failed on a 174-235, vote with 38 Republicans voting against it even though Trump threw his support behind the legislation.
Republicans are reportedly now eyeing a third bill to fund the government without Trump’s debt ceiling demand before government funding runs out at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
