'President Elon Musk'? Billionaire, Trump is helping to end the funding deal negotiated in Congress

President-elect Donald Trump has launched the death knell for bipartisan budget talks, rejecting the measure as a gift to Democrats after unelected billionaire Elon Musk expressed anger over the bill and congratulated Republican lawmakers who announced their opposition to it.

Because of this, a partial shutdown of the US government could begin on Saturday. Based on the previous suspension, it could result in government services funded by Congress being subject to delays or shutdowns, thousands of non-essential workers being furloughed and essential workers working part-time without pay.

There have been two government shutdowns in Trump's first presidency, both related to his demands for border security funding — a daily issue in January 2018 and the longest on record for five weeks in late 2018 and early 2019.

Trump's joint statement Wednesday with vice president-elect JD Vance stalled the bill and prompted several social media posts by Musk attacking the law for what he described as overspending.

“Stop the theft of your tax dollars!” Musk wrote on his social media platform X while issuing a serious challenge to whoever voted for the budget deal. Musk put about $200 million into his political committee to help elect Trump.

Musk also encouraged Americans to contact their government representatives to express opposition to their bill.

Representative Andy Barr, Republican of Kentucky, said his office has been flooded with calls from members.

“My phone was ringing and I couldn't pick it up,” he said. “The people who elected us listened to Elon Musk.”

Republicans have come under heavy criticism from, among others, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who is negotiating with Democrats.

“Democrats and Republicans spent months negotiating a bipartisan deal to fund our government. The richest man in the world, President Elon Musk, doesn't like it. Will Republicans kiss the ring?” Sanders wrote on X on Wednesday.

The arguments seem to be many

The episode showed the growing political influence of Musk, whom Trump has tapped along with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Public Works, an independent task force created to find ways to lay off government workers, cut programs and reduce regulations.

Musk's companies all deal with the federal government and are subject to regulation in various ways. SpaceX holds billions of dollars in NASA contracts and is the CEO of Tesla, an electric car business that benefits from federal tax incentives and is subject to auto safety regulations.

Musk's purchase of social media platform Twitter, which was renamed X in 2023 and is still widely used by politicians and governments, was improperly investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). His other companies include artificial intelligence maker xAI and brain implant maker Neuralink.

“There is a direct conflict between his businesses and the interests of the government,” Ann Skeet, director of leadership principles at Santa Clara University, told The Associated Press last month. “Now he's in a position to try to win those businesses.”

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and a veteran of Washington's budget battles, was excited about Musk's ability to generate public attention for efforts to reduce the size of government. But he suggested that the owner of a space rocket company was not the right person to lead Congress's debate on spending.

“He doesn't know politics like he knows physics,” he said.

Others are excited about Musk's involvement.

“In my five years in Congress, I have expected a significant change in dynamics,” wrote Rep. Dan Bishop, Republican of North Carolina. “It has arrived.”

In a post written on X, Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul even floated Musk's name as a potential speaker, seeming to relish the prospect of “seeing a collective … lose their minds that they always love.”

False claims advanced

Trump's opposition to what was considered must-pass legislation has revived a sense of uncertainty and political divisiveness in Washington reminiscent of his first term in office.

It was a major turnaround for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who negotiated the bill and was downplayed by Trump as his successor is just weeks away.

Republicans have a slim majority, suggesting the possibility of a repeat of the leadership disputes that paralyzed the House last year in the final weeks of Kevin McCarthy's term as Speaker, and the early weeks of Johnson's administration.

Biden's administration has criticized the possibility of a shutdown.

“Republicans must stop playing politics with this bipartisan deal or they will hurt hard-working Americans and create instability across the country,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

In his social media posts, Musk sometimes promoted false claims, such as the idea that the legislation included $3 billion for a new football stadium in Washington. In fact, this law would transfer land ownership from the federal government to the city, paving the way for eventual development.

“I love you Elon but you need to take 5 seconds to check your sources before highlighting the bottom feed you want to click on,” Texas Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw told X.

Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said any outbreak of a government shutdown would be Republican-only.

“You're breaking a bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences,” he wrote in X.

As for Trump, earlier this year, his disapproval led Republicans to back away from a broad bipartisan bill that would have improved border security measures.