House Democrats were furious Thursday over the spending bill drama and what they characterized as the outsized influence of Elon Musk and others in Trump’s inner circle, after a bipartisan plan brokered by the House speaker Mike Johnson, collapsed just hours earlier.
Speaking to reporters outside a leadership meeting Thursday, Democrats in the House of Representatives expressed disappointment with Republicans for walking away from the negotiated argument, with many accusing them of appearing to take cues from Elon Musk.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., called billionaire X’s owner “President Musk” while speaking to reporters Thursday.
“For Republicans, it’s just intolerable that President Musk comes in at the last minute and blows up the deal,” Nadler said. “You have to negotiate, and you have to be able to enforce what you negotiate, and what was negotiated was a very good deal for the American people.”
JOHNSON HAS POSSIBLE SPEAKER RIVALS AS CONSERVATIVES IN REBELS OVER GOVERNMENT FUNDING PLAN
Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts (Fox News)
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said their caucus is “disappointed” in Speaker Johnsonsaying it seemed like Musk is “president” and Trump is “vice president.”
This was echoed by Rep. Greg Casar, D-Tex., who said: “My main question is if Elon Musk is some kind of co-president here, I don’t know why Trump doesn’t just hand him the Oval. Office.”
“Speaker Johnson might just have to do that give Elon Musk the gavel if they just want that billionaire to run the country,” Casar told reporters outside a meeting of House of Representatives leaders
Speaker Mike Johnson and Elon Musk are at odds over a bill that could lead to a government shutdown. (Jean Catuffe/GC Images/Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., was emotional as she expressed frustration over the drawn-out negotiations and an amended debt ceiling deal, saying she believes Republicans should “do the right thing for once.”
She noted that she has “thousands of neighbors” and others in her district waiting for disaster assistance a small business administration loan. “These are the loans that help people repair their homes. These are the loans that help small businesses get back on their feet.”
President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk pose for a photo during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
She noted that Republicans did not replenish those funds when they created the last spending bill, so in the meantime these people have been “left in the lurch.”
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“I just wanted to point out that this kind of chaos and dysfunction affects hardworking people in the real world, and that it is irresponsible and wrong,” she said.
Musk’s team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the comments about his role in the spending bill negotiations.
