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Elon Musk experienced his first major political setback after the Republican-backed spending deal, supported by him and President-elect Donald Trump, was rejected in the House late Thursday. Speaker Mike Johnson had scrambled to introduce the last-minute bill to prevent a government shutdown after Musk and Trump dismissed his earlier proposal. Despite their efforts, the revised bill failed with a decisive 174-235 vote, as hardline Republicans joined almost all Democrats in opposition.
Musk, co-chair of Trump’s incoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), took to X to express frustration after the defeat. “A super fair & simple bill was put to a vote, and only 2 Democrats in Congress were in favor. Therefore, responsibility for the shutdown rests squarely on the shoulders of @RepJeffries,” he wrote, tagging Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. In a subsequent post, Musk criticized Jeffries for opposing the bill, saying, “Shame on @RepJeffries for rejecting a fair & simple spending bill that is desperately needed by states suffering from hurricane damage!” Jeffries had publicly dismissed the legislation ahead of the vote, calling it “not serious” and “laughable.”
The revised GOP bill was just 116 pages long, a sharp contrast to the original 1,600-page version that included disaster relief and other provisions. However, the trimmed-down measure also suspended the debt ceiling until 2027, a key Trump demand that angered Democrats. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) mocked the GOP’s deference to Musk, claiming, “They got scared because President Musk told them, ‘Don’t do it.’” DeLauro added, “Imagine. What does [Musk] know about what people go through during a government shutdown? Are his employees furloughed? Hell no! Is he furloughed? No!”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries celebrated the bill’s defeat on Bluesky, writing, “The Musk-Johnson government shutdown bill has been soundly defeated. MAGA extremists in the House GOP are not serious about helping working-class Americans. They are simply doing the bidding of their wealthy donors and puppeteers. Unacceptable.”
Trump had heavily criticized the initial 1,600-page bill, labeling it a “nasty trap” set by Democrats due to its provisions for congressional pay raises and other spending measures. “Any Republican that would be so stupid as to do this should, and will, be Primaried,” Trump warned on Truth Social. Under pressure, Speaker Johnson and his leadership introduced the simplified bill, which still failed due to defections from 38 Republicans and near-unanimous Democratic opposition.
Vice President-elect J.D. Vance also blamed Democrats for the resulting shutdown, stating, “They asked for a shutdown, and that’s exactly what they’re going to get.” Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas) blasted the GOP’s efforts, claiming Republicans were “profoundly unserious about reducing deficits.” The failure now sets the stage for a partial government shutdown starting Friday at midnight.
Despite the loss, Trump praised the effort, touting the new measure as a “very good deal for the American people.” He expressed optimism about the suspension of the debt ceiling and declared, “Now we can Make America Great Again, very quickly, which is what the people gave us a mandate to accomplish.”
Jeffries, however, called the revised proposal the “Musk-Johnson deal,” prompting Musk to clarify on X, “I’m not the author of this proposal,” crediting Trump, Vance, and Johnson instead. Earlier, Trump had issued a clear ultimatum to Johnson, warning that any bill failing to eliminate “Democrat traps” like the debt ceiling would lead to Republican primary challenges.
Musk’s vocal opposition to the original bill galvanized support among his 200 million X followers, with the tech billionaire threatening political consequences for those voting in favor. “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” he wrote. After the bill’s defeat, Musk celebrated, declaring, “The voice of the people has triumphed!”
Musk’s growing influence has sparked speculation over his potential role in GOP leadership. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) mused about the possibility of Musk serving as Speaker, noting the Constitution doesn’t require the speaker to be a member of Congress. “Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk,” Paul said. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) also expressed interest, calling the idea a possible way to “shatter the establishment.” Greene later polled her constituents on whether they would support Musk for the speakership.
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