The United States is on the brink of a government shutdown after interventions by Donald Trump and Elon Musk derailed a bipartisan funding plan in Congress. The current federal funding expires Friday night, and while lawmakers had agreed on a stopgap bill, opposition within the Republican Party and external pressure have thrown the process into chaos.
Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance issued a statement rejecting the bill, demanding it include a debt limit increase—a move that typically requires weeks of negotiations. This demand followed a social media campaign by Musk, who criticized the bill to his massive following on X, where he made several false claims about its contents.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson is now under fire from both parties for misjudging the situation. He is expected to propose a pared-down funding measure, but Democrats in the Senate have indicated they will only support the original agreement. Without bipartisan support, the Republicans will struggle to pass the legislation, given their slim majority in the House.
A shutdown, which could begin at midnight Saturday, would halt federal operations, close national parks, and furlough workers without pay during the holiday season. It also jeopardizes $100 billion in disaster relief and $30 billion in aid for farmers included in the bill.
