Trump Upends Bipartisan Budget Talks, Risking Government Shutdown

Rejecting a congressional accord as too beneficial to Democrats, President-elect Donald Trump has thrown bipartisan budget negotiations into chaos and raised the spectre of a government shutdown just days before Christmas.

Trump urged Republicans in a joint statement with Vice President-elect JD Vance to "GET SMART and TOUGH," so arming them to resist Democratic demands and run a risk of a shutdown. From his Mar-a-Lago club, Trump indicated a return to his signature political brinkmanship, evocative of his turbulent first term.

Fueling the fire, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy sharply attacked the suggested budget, calling it excessive spending. With his platform X, Musk mobilized opposition by vowing to sponsor main challenges against Republicans endorsing the deal. His appeal to "Kill the Bill!" heightened GOP House member opposition.

While Trump's involvement delighted his supporters, it left Washington in chaos and jeopardized the viability of the budget package just days before the deadline. The circumstances also cloud House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Trump friend who backed the agreement and must be reelected in few weeks.