Trump torpedoes Johnson's deal after feverish GOP speculation
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President-elect Trump speaks during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 16, 2024. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images.
House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) spending deal was already on life support Wednesday. President-elect Trump may have just pulled the plug by coming out against it.
Why it matters: Many GOP lawmakers were waiting to see what Trump said before taking a position on the bill. As one senior House Republican told Axios earlier Wednesday, "If he tweets against this thing, it's dead."
- A House Republican close to Johnson said the speaker will "likely" turn to trying to pass a "clean" stopgap spending bill.
Driving the news: A source familiar with Trump's thinking confirmed to Axios that Trump is "totally against" the spending legislation, as Fox News host Lawrence Jones said in a post on X.
- Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance subsequently put out a statement calling for a bill "WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS" that also raises the debt ceiling.
- "The president-elect holds all the cards," the senior House Republican said a few hours before Trump's comments.
State of play: The more than 1500-page bill to hold off a government shutdown until March 14 was already facing an onslaught from the GOP's right flank.
- Conservative lawmakers argue the bill is too bloated and are pushing for a "clean" short-term spending measure that will allow Trump to try to pass his own appropriations legislation in January.
- Billionaire Elon Musk, who is spearheading Trump's "Department of Government Efficiency," has been particularly out front in opposition, lambasting the bill as "criminal."
- Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk's DOGE co-chair, wrote on X: "If Congress wants to get serious about government efficiency, they should VOTE NO."
What happened: The outspokenness of Trump's lieutenants combined with the president-elect's silence touched off feverish speculation among House Republicans about his intentions.
- One House Republican suggested Trump gave his blessing for Johnson to negotiate a three-month spending deal.
- "Now, because Trumpworld is not structured, [it's] getting pushback from some from the very people who, in theory, encouraged this to get done," the lawmaker said.
What they're saying: Some Republicans told Axios earlier Wednesday that they were specifically hinging their votes on Trump's position.
- "Until Trump weighs in, because he's going to have to live with this, I think we're at a standstill ... and rightfully so," said Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), a former Trump interior secretary, who said he thought a "majority" of GOP votes depended on Trump's position.
- The House Republican who spoke anonymously had told Axios: "I think most people are hoping he either says 'do it' or stays quiet."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
