Some House Republicans privately furious at Elon Musk after government shutdown talks implode

House Republicans are facing internal turmoil after tech billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy inserted themselves into congressional negotiations on government funding, ultimately leading to the collapse of a bipartisan deal. Several GOP lawmakers, speaking on the condition of anonymity, expressed frustration and concern over the actions of Musk and Ramaswamy, with some accusing them of exacerbating existing divisions within the House Republican Conference.

One House Republican criticized Musk and Ramaswamy for their last-minute intervention, stating, “Musk and Vivek should not have jumped in at the 11th hour and should have handled it directly with the speaker. Folks on the same side shouldn’t act like these two. They’re more about the clicks and bright lights than getting the job done. I’ll have nothing to do with them after watching them publicly trash the speaker.” Another lawmaker went as far as to suggest that Musk and Ramaswamy were undermining President-elect Trump by freelancing and not coordinating with him on their actions.

A third Republican accused Ramaswamy of spreading misinformation and misrepresenting the facts of the situation. Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, had been working towards a vote on a continuing resolution to extend government funding levels through March 14, in order to provide more time for negotiations on a long-term funding agreement. However, the inclusion of unrelated measures and policy riders in the bill angered GOP hardliners, leading to its ultimate demise.

Musk and Ramaswamy joined the opposition to the bill, with Musk even threatening to support primary challengers against Republicans who backed the CR. Less than a day after the legislation was released, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise declared the bill dead. House GOP leaders are now scrambling to come up with an alternative plan, but it remains uncertain if they will garner any Democratic support.

One House Republican attributed Musk’s influence to swaying weaker members who lacked direction until his involvement. They criticized Musk for highlighting bad governance and indirectly undermining the legislative branch. Meanwhile, President-elect Trump threatened to primary Republicans who supported a “clean” CR without an increase in the debt limit, further complicating negotiations.

The situation has thrown a wrench into talks on the debt limit increase, with one Republican expressing frustration at Trump’s threats. Despite the turmoil within the House Republican Conference, the party is now faced with the challenge of regrouping and finding a way forward on government funding. The involvement of outside figures like Musk and Ramaswamy has added a new layer of complexity to an already contentious issue, highlighting the challenges of governing in a deeply divided political landscape.