海角大神

President-elect Donald Trump is still a month away from returning to office, but he鈥檚 showing he鈥檚 already firmly back in power over congressional Republicans 鈥� and unafraid to throw them into last-minute disarray.

On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Trump exploded a bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown with a declaration on X demanding that Republicans kill the bill and instead pivot to a completely different package that didn鈥檛 include side deals aimed at winning over the Democratic votes needed for it to pass. He also demanded an increase in the federal debt ceiling so it won鈥檛 happen under his watch 鈥� something neither party had been discussing as part of this deal.

鈥淲e should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn鈥檛 give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want,鈥� Mr. Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance , referring to the Democratic Senate majority leader. 鈥淩epublicans must GET SMART and TOUGH. If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF.鈥�

The federal government shuts down on Friday at midnight if Congress doesn鈥檛 act, and right now there鈥檚 no obvious path forward for congressional leaders for a deal.

Bill wasn鈥檛 popular, but would have averted a shutdown

The stopgap spending bill had already drawn flak from Republicans across the political spectrum, who were furious at GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson for agreeing to it. Various unrelated provisions had been attached to the package 鈥� including a large pay raise for lawmakers as well as $110 billion in disaster relief, and a change in health policy aimed at cutting out pharmaceutical middlemen to reduce costs. The bill was merely a stopgap measure to fund the government until mid-March, and also included some provisions badly wanted by congressional Republicans, including a one-year extension of the Farm Bill that included significant subsidies for farmers. No one loved the bill, but it looked like it would earn enough bipartisan support to pass before Mr. Trump stepped in.

Mr. Trump and his allies say the pivot is essential to clear the decks for the new administration to hit the ground running. Notably, they want to avoid pressure to raise the debt limit in mid-2025, when Democrats could try to use the issue as an opportunity to gain leverage against the Republican agenda.

But his latest move suggests a return to the level of legislative mayhem that was a hallmark of Mr. Trump鈥檚 first term in office.

Mr. Trump鈥檚 first term in office was pockmarked with stretches like this. He would often聽pay scant attention to what was happening on Capitol Hill and then decide at the last minute he wasn鈥檛 happy with the product, throwing negotiations into chaos and sometimes scuttling major legislation. Six years ago this week, in late December 2018, Mr.聽Trump suddenly refused to accept a bipartisan appropriations bill that had unanimously passed the GOP-controlled Senate because it didn鈥檛 include money he wanted to build his wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The ensuing government shutdown 鈥� the longest in U.S. history. He鈥檚 scuttled other bipartisan deals even since he left office, President Biden had negotiated with Senate Republicans to crack down on border crossings earlier this year.

Republicans will have significantly less margin for error in the next Congress than they did when Mr. Trump first won office. They will have just a 220-215 seat majority in the House, meaning they can afford to lose just two votes on any major legislation and still pass a bill if they don鈥檛 have any Democratic support.

The current upheaval threatens not to just force a government shutdown on the eve of a new Congress, but could potentially cost Mr. Johnson his speakership. He can only afford to lose a handful of GOP votes if he wants to keep his job when Congress reconvenes in a few weeks on Jan. 3, and the deal he presented so enraged some of his members that there鈥檚 no guarantee they鈥檒l all back him 鈥� especially if the president-elect decides not to publicly support him. Right now, Mr. Trump .

The growing role of Elon Musk

There鈥檚 a new X factor to the coming administration 鈥� and it involves X鈥檚 multibillionaire owner. Mr. Trump鈥檚 demand to kill the deal came after Elon Musk, his campaign megadonor and new adviser on government efficiency, spent the day railing against the bill and warning lawmakers that they鈥檇 face primary challengers if they backed it. Mr. Musk took a victory lap when the bill collapsed, posting: 鈥淵our elected representatives have heard you and now the terrible bill is dead. The voice of the people has triumphed!鈥�

Democrats don鈥檛 sound keen to help Republicans bail themselves out.

鈥淗ouse Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And hurt the working class Americans they claim to support,鈥� House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Wednesday afternoon. 鈥淵ou break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow.鈥�

鈥淎 deal is a deal. Republicans should keep their word,鈥� White House Press Secretary Karine Jeanne-Pierre said in a Wednesday evening statement.

Mr.聽Trump and Vance finished their own bombshell statement with an all-caps promise: 鈥淭HIS CHAOS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IF WE HAD A REAL PRESIDENT. WE WILL IN 32 DAYS!鈥�

But if not for Mr.聽Trump, the chaos would likely have blown over. Instead, it鈥檚 arrived 鈥� just in time for the holidays, and one month ahead of schedule.