A government shutdown appears to be becoming more probable as a significant number of House GOP dissenters defied Donald Trump on Thursday night, leading to an embarrassment for the party.
A bill that Trump insisted upon—which included an increase to the debt ceiling—failed spectacularly on the House floor, with 38 Republicans siding with Democrats to reject it. Trump derailed Speaker Mike Johnson’s original bipartisan strategy, which many expected would sail through Congress despite some conservative pushback.
Veteran Republicans have warned Trump that a government shutdown could hinder the onset of his second term and potentially stall vital aspects of his agenda, according to a GOP official who spoke with the Daily Beast.
If both chambers of Congress do not pass a spending bill by midnight Friday, countless federal employees could face furloughs just days before Christmas. This group includes crucial personnel like air traffic controllers and TSA (Transportation Security Administration) agents, who would be mandated to work without pay during the busy holiday travel period until government operations resume.
Experts suggest that a shutdown would almost certainly lead to travel holdups during one of the year’s peak travel times, marking a ignoble beginning for Trump’s second term.
While Thursday’s developments were a blow to Trump, Johnson’s position as speaker is concurrently at risk.
Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), a well-informed member of the Capitol yet without a vote on Johnson’s role, expressed skepticism about his ability to remain in power.
Trump commended Johnson for adhering to his directives and advancing his bill for a vote. However, GOP representatives are dissatisfied with how the speaker has conducted negotiations surrounding government funding.
Numerous lawmakers communicated to the Daily Beast on Thursday that Johnson’s speakership is more precarious now than it was post-Election Day, particularly concerning his management of short-term funding for the government.
“People are not happy with him at the moment,” remarked a GOP moderate. “But without a definitive alternative, I don’t see the situation being grave.”
“Johnson is in real trouble,” another Republican member told the Beast.
The failure of Trump’s endorsed legislation on Thursday night came after a tumultuous debate on the floor where Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) broke his gavel in an effort to restore order.
Trump’s upcoming DOGE influencers, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, have been galvanizing MAGA support for a government shutdown, aggravating moderate Republicans. Additionally, several centrists believed they should have put Johnson’s initial bipartisan proposal to a vote on Wednesday before Trump could publicize it and derail the efforts.
“Many of us are frustrated that Musk and Vivek intervened at the last possible moment,” one moderate Republican shared with the Daily Beast. “The notion that we should demand everything from the Democrats with no concessions in return is unrealistic and reflects a complete misunderstanding of Congressional dynamics.”
Musk, whose involvement in legislative matters earned him the moniker “President Musk” from Democrats, attributed Trump’s humiliating failure to the party’s actions.
Trump also expressed this sentiment in a statement, pointing out that nearly every Democrat in the House voted against the funding proposal.
“Almost every House Democrat just voted against government funding and to instigate a shutdown,” he stated. “As Vice President-elect JD Vance mentioned, Democrats ‘asked for a shutdown, and I believe that’s precisely what they will receive.’”
Johnson managed to weather Trump’s discontent—at least for the time being—by succumbing to the president-elect’s demand that any funding agreement encompass one of Trump’s key policy priorities: elevating the debt limit, which regulates the government’s borrowing capacity to fulfill debt obligations.
Trump threw Johnson a curveball by insisting that lawmakers raise the U.S. debt cap—an issue initially unrelated to negotiations to prevent a government shutdown. Different factions within the GOP are now expressing their frustration toward the speaker for not acting swiftly to finalize a stopgap funding bill.
Another Republican official, who preferred to remain anonymous to discuss sensitive negotiations, noted that Johnson is “alienating members” from various factions in the party, spanning the hard right to the more moderate center.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) voiced her dissatisfaction with Johnson—whom she has unsuccessfully attempted to replace—by suggesting Elon Musk take over his position.
Musk has been vigorously tweeting against a bipartisan spending agreement, indicating a preference for shuttering the government.
The path ahead for a government funding solution remains uncertain, with some members concerned it serves as a foreshadowing of the next two years.
“I’m just completely frustrated with the current circumstances and the realization that this is likely how matters will be handled for the next two years,” a Republican lawmaker conveyed to the Beast.
