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Trump Threatens to Take Back Control of Panama Canal

Incoming US president Donald Trump on Saturday slammed what he called unfair fees for US ships passing through the Panama Canal and threatened to demand control of the waterway be returned to Washington.

He also hinted at China's growing influence around the canal, a worrying trend for American interests as US businesses depend on the channel to move goods between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

"Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous," he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

"This complete 'rip-off' of our Country will immediately stop."

The Panama Canal, which was completed by the United States in 1914, was returned to the Central American country under a 1977 deal signed by Democratic president Jimmy Carter.

Panama took full control in 1999. (Another Democrat Screw up)

"It was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else," Trump said. "We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands!"

He continued that if Panama could not ensure "the secure, efficient and reliable operation" of the channel, "then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question."

Authorities in Panama did not immediately react to Trump's post.

Although he does not officially take office until next month, Trump has nevertheless been flexing his political influence in the waning days of President Joe Biden's administration.

The real estate mogul boasted on the campaign trail that as an entrepreneur, he was uniquely positioned to fight for US business interests.

An estimated five percent of global maritime traffic passes through the Panama Canal, which allows ships traveling between Asia and the US East Coast to avoid the long, hazardous route around the southern tip of South America.

The main users of the passage are the United States, China, Japan and South Korea.

The Panama Canal Authority reported in October that the waterway had earned record revenues of nearly $5 billion in the last fiscal year.

 

Scott Jennings Rampages Across CNN, Destroys Van Jones and Then a Full Panel on Elon Musk

If you've been reading political news over the last several days, you know Democrats have a new talking point. As the tale goes, far from the humble, people-led affair of the Biden administration, the federal government has now become an "oligarchy" ruled by Elon Musk. Why? Because the billionaire said Congress shouldn't pass a pork-filled 1,500-page continuing resolution.

The horror, right? 

Naturally, the attacks on Musk and incoming president Donald Trump, who is now being touted as a "puppet," were picked up by CNN's liberal analysts. What they forgot is that Scott Jennings exists, and for the time being, there's some actual truth being shared on the left-wing network. 

JONES: There are big fancy college words called oligarchy, and plutocracy, that folks tonight might want to look up. It's called "ruled by rich folks," and that's what we're dealing with. A bunch of rich folks, two rich people threw a fit online and threw the government upside down. Now, did the bill go from big to little? What happened was that the bipartisan deal that got struck by elected officials of our country was overthrown by two billionaires throwing a fit, and it's not even January. 

I'll get to Jennings' smackdown momentarily, but I want to address the framing here. If Jones believes that the outrage over the 1,500-page CR was restricted to Elon Musk, he's delusional. The popular outcry was extensive and began before the Tesla and SpaceX owner said a word. What Jones is really saying, though he won't admit it, is that social media sites like X are giving normal people a voice in their government they haven't previously had. At the end of the day, it was "elected officials" who decided to not vote for the original deal. That they were influenced by the masses is a good thing. 

JENNINGS: Well, if Van is concerned about unelected officials running the government, I'd invite him to review the last four years of the Biden administration and maybe pick up The Wall Street Journal this week. We've apparently had a president that's so diminished that his staff has been hiding it from the American people and making key decisions on behalf of the American government despite never being elected to anything at all. So if you're concerned about it tonight, maybe take a look over the last four years. 

Look, I think ultimately, all's well that ends well. The government did not shut down. We're not in any kind of crisis over the holidays here, and when Republicans get sworn in in January and Trump comes to the office on January the 20th, they're going to have to come together as a team and decide, "Are we going to work together or not?"

Hammer, meet nail. For Democrats to now fear-monger about "unelected" people running the government is to ignore that's precisely what has happened throughout President Joe Biden's term. 

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SEE: Bombshell WSJ Report Confirms That Dems Lied Through Their Teeth About Biden's Senility 

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How does that compare to Musk making a post online? It doesn't. What he did was public and out in the open. People were able to decide whether to agree with him or not, and in the end, it was elected officials who chose to come up with another deal. That's democracy in action. What's not democracy in action is a bunch of nameless figures running the government behind the scenes while lying to everyone about the president's senility. 

Jennings wasn't done, though. Later, he would appear on Abby Phillip's show and be faced with the same talking points. Once again, he was ready. 

JENNINGS: If he gives information to people that he didn't previously have or some transparency in that government, is that necessarily a bad thing? 

PANEL MEMBER: I think that's a great idea. 

ROGINSKY: Elon Musk is doing this to gin up people to call their congressman or congresswoman to tell them to vote against something that Elon Musk doesn't want them to vote for because it doesn't directly benefit Elon Musk. Let's be very clear, he's not here...

JENNINGS: How do you know that? 

ROGINSKY: How do I know that? Because look at this bill. 

Hang on just a second because, as Jennings will go on to note, that's a serious allegation. Did Musk oppose the 1,500-page CR because it didn't "directly benefit" him? That should be pretty easy to figure out. What is in the 105-page CR that passed that wasn't in the original deal? If Roginsky can't define that, then her claim is baseless. 

I'll go ahead and spoil it for you. She didn't provide any evidence for her allegation.

JENNINGS: It's a serious allegation. You're essentially alleging corruption.

ROGINSKY: First of all, I'm not alleging corruption. I'm alleging that Elon Musk has a particular interest in seeing certain things happen that benefit Elon Musk's business. That's a fact. He's a businessman. He's not here as a staffer. If you were a staffer, if you were working on the hill, then he should go work on the Hill. DOGE is not, he's purposely not going into the government because then he'd have to show a lot more information about himself than he and Vivek Ramaswamy want to so now they are just advisors. 

They're unpaid advisors, and for that reason, Elon Musk is puppeteering Donald Trump and every other member of Congress that he wants to benefit Elon Musk. 

PHILLIP: I'm not sure Donald Trump is doing anything to dissuade people of that position. 

JENNINGS: In October, the principle Democrat argument was, "Donald Trump is gonna be a dictator," and today it's, "Donald Trump is just being controlled by other people." Which is it?

ROGINSKY: It can be both!

Democrats are so desperate to turn things in their favor that they can't help but flail like this. If Trump is a ruthless dictator ready to turn America into his personal fiefdom, then he can't also be a powerless puppet being controlled by Musk. That makes no sense at all. The charge that it's somehow wrong for people to call their congressional members to tell them not to vote for a crappy CR is also pretty insane to me. Who does Roginsky think is in charge of these "elected officials?"

In the end, Musk did nothing wrong here, and his involvement is not proof of an "oligarchy." It is proof of an information age where politicians can no longer hide what they are doing from the American people. Far from being a negative, that's a great thing.

 

Rachel Morin's Mom Speaks at TPUSA's AmFest About Trump's Support Since Her Daughter's Murder by Illegal

Patty Morin, the mom of Rachel Morin, the Maryland mother of five allegedly raped and killed by an illegal immigrant in August 2023, spoke at Turning Point USA's AmFest in Phoenix on Saturday, recounting the heartbreaking story of how she learned about Rachel's death. 

It's a narrative she bravely told during congressional testimony about the border crisis, back in September, as my colleague at sister site Townhall.com, Jeff Charles wrote. She said:

We got the phone call, and the phone call went something like this. "Hello, Mom. There's somebody here that'd like to speak to you." "Okay. Hello." "Hello, Mrs. Morin. This is Detective So-and-so. There's no easy way to tell you this. We found your daughter's body." I had just learned a few hours earlier that she was missing. We didn't know she was missing. She went on a trail in our town that's very public, very small, and we walked it for over 25 years. She grew up walking this trail. An illegal immigrant that was a gotaway from El Salvador had waited for her on the trail. I was told that they grabbed her, dragged her through the woods, raped her, strangled her, murdered her. We were told that her body was blanketed in bruises. I can tell you from looking at her when I went to the funeral home that it was probably the most graphic thing that I've ever seen.

And in June, Patty rightly unleashed on impeached Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas, along with the Biden administration, for depersonalizing her daughter's death, when Mayorkas coldly referred to her as "an individual," and never offered their condolences to the family. during an interview with Fox News' Laura Ingraham.

In stark contrast, as RedState's Sister Toldjah shared, then-former President Trump reached out personally to console the Morin family:

On the other hand, the Morin family's attorney, Randolph Rice, released a statement Thursday announcing that former President Donald Trump had reached out to express his condolences:

President Donald Trump called Patty Morin, the mother of slain jogger Rachel Morin, in a heartfelt manner to offer his deepest condolences. Rachel Morin was tragically murdered in August 2023 while running on the Ma & Pa trail in Harford County.

[...]

Patty Morin expressed her gratitude for the President's call this morning, stating, "I am deeply touched by President Trump's kindness and concern. He was genuine and truly wanted to know how our family was coping. He asked about Rachel and showed honest compassion for her untimely death. His words brought comfort to me during this very difficult time."

Randolph Rice, the family's attorney, also expressed appreciation for the President’s concern and call. "We are thankful for President Trump’s call. Acts like this show the depth of his care for Americans. His concern for Rachel’s family and his willingness to reach out personally was consoling to the family and means a great deal to us all."

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Read More: Mother of Woman Raped and Murdered by Illegal Immigrant Gives Heartbreaking Testimony Before Congress

Trump Does What Biden Won't on the Rachel Morin Matter As Her Mother Unloads on Mayorkas

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During Saturday's speech, Patty revealed that it wasn't just a one-time phone call; in the midst of the terrible details about Rachel's death, there was a ray of hope. She said that President-elect Trump or members of his team have stayed in touch with her family, checking in to see how they are doing this whole time.

You can tell from the tone of her voice how meaningful it has been for her, as she described the way Trump interacted with the family as "sound[ing] like a very caring man....like your grandfather":

The Biden administration didn't say anything, didn't offer condolences. But, President Trump, he called our family, and he said how heartbroken he was, and [asked] if there was anything he could do to help us. He sounded like a very caring man. He sounded like your grandfather... And it's continued. Since that time, it's been over a year and a half, and they still continue to check in on our family and see if we're doing okay.

As it turns out, this is something that others have noted about Trump--and flies in the face of the barrage of attacks on his character over the past few years. My colleague Teri Christoph wrote about the Trumps inviting the widow of assassinated Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to have dinner with them at Mar-a-Lago last weekend:

Few other details of the dinner have emerged, but what is coming to light is the fact that Donald Trump has kept in regular contact with the Mrs. Abe since the 2022 assassination of her husband. 

...

And here's the part that most in the media would not want you to know:

Trump regularly calls Mrs. Abe to check in on her, a source close to the president-elect confirmed, and the dinner was scheduled through direct conversations between the two, not government channels, as is often the case with diplomatic figures.

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Read More: The Donald Trump the Media Doesn't Want You to See Was on Full Display at Mar-a-Lago This Past Weekend

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Much of the recent news about the incoming, Trump 47 White House has been about who will fill out the administration's cabinet, or which policies Trump is likely to pursue, but it's refreshing to be reminded that behind the political trappings is a man who takes the time to act with compassion when people are at their lowest--and the cameras aren't on.

You can watch Patty Morin's full remarks below:

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Read related: RNC: Real Estate Investor, Friend Steve Witkoff Speaks About Trump's 'Humanity in the Quiet Moments'

 

Merry Christmas, And Democrats Can Go To Hell

Tis the season to be jolly…but I’ve never been one to give a damn about what season it is. I’ll wear shorts in winter if the mood hits me, and white after Labor Day because tradition dictates otherwise. So, when Christmas comes around, I don’t let that stop me from getting completely disgusted and pissed off by just how horrible Democrats are as human beings.

I know, I apologize to human beings for lumping Democrats in with us, but this is a family show, so the words I’d like to use will have to remain in your imagination – just take whatever the worst thing you can think of is, double, and they’re about a tenth of the way there. 

It is unproductive to hate your opponents, your enemies, but does everything have to be productive? I don’t think so. And even if I did, I’m willing to violate that rule anyway because the scum of the Earth needs to be called the scum of the Earth sometimes.

When the disgraced continuing resolution was pulled Thursday night, Democrats immediately cried foul. Weirdo Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) whined about a “deal” that was stuck between the two parties' leadership falling apart, crying that Republicans had backed out. But Republicans had never walked in. 

The bill was 1500 pages, there’s no way DeLauro and her purple hair had read it in the few hours it had been out, so why was she so upset that it wasn’t going to pass? She didn’t even try to make a case FOR the bill, the 81-year-old mutant was told to vote for it and she was ready to. (Honestly, what was the alternative to electing a woman who dressed like she was violently thrown through the cat lady section of a craft store and just kept on whatever stuck to her unshowered grossness and old shoe suck in dog dirt? That’s the closest I can come to a circumstance under which voting for her might be worth a coin toss.)

Republicans don’t obey; we are not the Borg. It’s as annoying as hell sometimes, but it beats the hell out of the alternative.

When the bill blew up, Democrats found a new lie to clamp their jaws on: childhood cancer.

There’s a special place in hell for people like Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz, the only Senator whose last name is the past tense of the type of person he is (still, the most accurately named man in the Senate is Dick Drubin), and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts via a mythical Indian reservation controlled by the rich white lady tribe. Both of these sub-humans publicly claimed Republicans had denied funding to fight childhood cancer by rejecting that bill. Schatz tweeted, “F*ck cancer. Especially pediatric cancer. These people want to punish these precious little kids to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest corporations in human history,” and Warren said Republicans decided “let's get rid of funding for research on pediatric cancer….so that we can make way for tax cuts for billionaires. That is Elon Musk's notion of efficiency.”

Nothing of the sort is true – the funding for pediatric cancer passed the House back in March and was in limbo in the Democrat-controlled Senate ever since. They finally, and quickly, passed it Friday night because they’d been called out for lying, but imagine being a parent with a child fighting cancer and Democrats come along and try to weaponize your misery for their political gain. How do you resist the urge to not at least verbally attack them for being the scum they are?

It was weird how so much of the left started using this kids and cancer talking point. Tommy Vietor, the form National Security Council douchebag who whine that the Americans murdered in Benghazi didn’t really matter because, “Dude, that was like two years ago,” tweeted out that the bill was loaded with anti-cancer money.  Sam Stein of MSNBC and Bill Kristol’s “Bulwark” picked up where Tommy left off, adding, “The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research program was a MASSIVE priority for Eric Cantor. And it was a huge bipartisan achievement in the Obama years. the version under consideration now would allot $190m to fund the program through 2033. That money could very well be gone after yesterday. The consequences of blowing things up aren't always readily apparent.”

Naturally, with the lack of original thought in the hive mind, brainless drone after brainless drone began spreading the lie (remember when disinformation was bad?) MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow with more estrogen, Chris Hayes, chimed in with, “The world’s richest man took $190 million away from kids with cancer.”

Again, how a parent these people are exploiting and manipulating doesn’t just lay one of these clowns out escapes me. 

Stein even responded to someone who asked why this money wasn’t part of a stand-alone bill by saying, “Hi. The bill funds pediatric cancer research and authorizes combination studies. Its origins are bipartisan. It was signed into law as a stand-alone in '12. I covered it. Yes, they could do it again, but it's also not uncommon to pass these things in CRs.”

But Sam no longer follows the news; neither does anyone on the left. Or they’re lying. It’s a hell of a position to be in – ignorant or liar – but there’s such a fine line between the two that it doesn’t really matter. (It’s usually both.)

People started pointing out that the House had passed a stand-alone bill already and it was Democrats who killed it in the Senate, so they revived it and passed it Friday night. Stein then tweeted, “NEW-- Tonight, the senate passed via a rare unanimous consent vote, legislation to extend the Gabriella Miller Act (they passed the House version which is five years at 12.6 million a year) to fund pediatric cancer research. It will now head to Biden's desk and become law.   Aides assumed this was dead as of a few hours ago.”

It was a Festivus miracle! 

Curiously, Stein never acknowledged his role in the lie, as none of them did, he simply smugly repeated it until the Democrats finally acted.

Elizabeth Warren and Brian Schatz, neither of whom had ever made any sort of public statement to pressure Chuck Schumer to bring the cancer funding bill up for a vote in the months and months the Senate had it, have said nothing about its passage because they don’t care. 

It was a prop, period. The kids with cancer were props, period. There’s a special place in hell for people who would exploit kids with cancer for their own political gain. And you can tell it was a political play by how not a single Democrat in either the House or Senate criticized anyone on their side for lying, not one. 

The only reason Democrats in the House put something that had already passed and had been sitting the Senate for the better part of a year into a bill to keep the government running is so it could be picked out and used as a weapon when Republicans objected to the $150 billion in new pork Democrats larded into the bill. Democrats are evil, not stupid. 

So, yeah, they can all go straight to hell. Merry Christmas. 

Derek Hunter is the host of a free daily podcast (subscribe!) and author of the book, Outrage, INC., which exposes how liberals use fear and hatred to manipulate the masses, and host of the weekly “Week in F*cking Review” podcast where the news is spoken about the way it deserves to be. Follow him on Twitter at @DerekAHunter.

 

Biden Was Too 'Mentally Fatigued' to Take Call From Top Committee Chair Before Afghanistan Withdrawal

Outgoing President Joe Biden is facing criticism after bombshell reports emerged that he was allegedly too "mentally fatigued" to take a critical call from the House Armed Services Committee Chair in the lead-up to the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. The revelation has sparked concerns about Biden's capacity to manage high-stakes decision-making, particularly during one of the most pivotal moments of his presidency. Critics argue that the report highlights a troubling pattern of disengagement and raises serious questions about his leadership and accountability during a crisis that resulted in lasting consequences. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, Biden was so tired and drained that he skipped out on an important phone call with then-House Armed Services Committee Chair Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash) in 2021, right before the United States pulled out of Afghanistan that left significant casualties, including 13 American service members dead and $7 billion worth of weapons, military equipment, and U.S. aircraft were left in Afghanistan that eventually landed in the hands of the Taliban because Biden was incredibly difficult to reach— even his aides couldn’t get a hold of him. 

Smith expressed concern over the Biden Administration’s overly optimistic remarks about the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Having worked on the issue, Smith believed the process would be far more challenging than White House officials were portraying and sought to share his insights. However, Biden never answered his phone calls. 

“I was begging them to set expectations low,” Smith told the outlet. 

Soon after, Biden personally called Smith to apologize but the damage had already been done. This was the only call the president made to the congressman during his four years. 

“The Biden White House was more insulated than most,” Smith recalled. “I spoke with Barack Obama on a number of occasions when he was president, and I wasn’t even chairman of the committee.”

Following the incident, Smith publicly berated Biden for being nowhere to be found in the moments before the U.S. pulled troops out of Afghanistan, angering Secretary of State Antony Blinken— who called Smith and launched into a tired over his comments. 

However, Blinken ultimately took responsibility for the botched withdrawal. 

The Afghanistan withdrawal became a pivotal and damaging for Biden’s presidency, leaving a stain on his leadership credibility. The moment highlighted a lack of planning and foresight and allowed the Taliban to take over the region. Critics argued that the withdrawal emboldened international enemies such as China and Russia and showcased the U.S.’ weaknesses. 

Trending on Townhall Videos

 

Trump Announces Chad Mizelle As Chief Of Staff At DOJ

President-elect Donald Trump has announced that Chad Mizelle will serve as Chief of Staff at the Department of Justice (DOJ). 

On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social announcing Mizelle’s upcoming position. 

The President-elect stated that Mizelle is set to work alongside Attorney General nominee, Pam Bondi. 

Mizelle worked for the Gibson Dunn law firm before serving in several positions in the first Trump administration. 

The American lawyer was General Counsel and Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s first term in office. While in that position, he helped to secure the border. 

In 2021, Mizelle was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) to serve on the 13^th circuit court judicial nominating commission.

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Trump Nominates Mark Burnett, Creator Of 'The Apprentice,' As Special Envoy To U.K.

Creator/Executive Producer Mark Burnett and businessman Donald Trump attend the Museum of Television and Radio presents “The Apprentice” at the Museum of Television and Radio on September 20, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California.

President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he has appointed Mark Burnett, the creator of “The Apprentice,” to serve as special envoy to the United Kingdom.

On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social announcing Burnett’s upcoming position. 

“It is my great honor to appoint Mark Burnett as the Special Envoy to the United Kingdom,” the President-elect said. “With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role.”

Burnett is set to work enhancing diplomatic relations which will focus on areas of mutual interest including trade, investment, and cultural exchanges. 

In addition to creating Trump’s former show “The Apprentice,” Burnett also created “Shark Tank” and led the production of other programs such as “Survivor” and “The Martha Stewart Show.”

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Congress Passes Bill to Avert Shutdown

Facing a government shutdown deadline, the Senate rushed through final passage early Saturday of a bipartisan plan that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, dropping President-elect Donald Trump’s demands for a debt limit increase into the new year.

House Speaker Mike Johnson had insisted Congress would “meet our obligations” and not allow federal operations to shutter ahead of the Christmas holiday season. But the day’s outcome was uncertain after Trump doubled down on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal — if not, he said in an early morning post, let the closures “start now.”

The House approved Johnson’s new bill overwhelmingly, 366-34. The Senate worked into the night to pass it, 85-11, just after the deadline. At midnight, the White House said it had ceased shutdown preparations.

“This is a good outcome for the country, ” Johnson said after the House vote, adding he had spoken with Trump and the president-elect “was certainly happy about this outcome, as well.”

President Joe Biden, who has played a less public role in the process throughout a turbulent week, was expected to sign the measure into law Saturday.

“There will be no government shutdown,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

The final product was the third attempt from Johnson, the beleaguered House speaker, to achieve one of the basic requirements of the federal government — keeping it open. And it raised stark questions about whether Johnson will be able to keep his job, in the face of angry GOP colleagues, and work alongside Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk, who called the legislative plays from afar.

Trump’s last-minute demand was almost an impossible ask, and Johnson had almost no choice but to work around his pressure for a debt ceiling increase. The speaker knew there wouldn’t be enough support within the GOP majority to pass any funding package, since many Republican deficit hawks prefer to slash the federal government and certainly wouldn’t allow more debt.

Instead, the Republicans, who will have full control of the White House, House and Senate next year, with big plans for tax cuts and other priorities, are showing they must routinely rely on Democrats for the votes needed to keep up with the routine operations of governing.

“So is this a Republican bill or a Democrat bill?” scoffed Musk on social media ahead of the vote.

The drastically slimmed-down 118-page package would fund the government at current levels through March 14 and add $100 billion in disaster aid and $10 billion in agricultural assistance to farmers.

Gone is Trump’s demand to lift the debt ceiling, which GOP leaders told lawmakers would be debated as part of their tax and border packages in the new year. Republicans made a so-called handshake agreement to raise the debt limit at that time while also cutting $2.5 trillion in spending over 10 years.

It’s essentially the same deal that flopped the night before in a spectacular setback — opposed by most Democrats and some of the most conservative Republicans — minus Trump’s debt ceiling demand.

But it’s far smaller than the original bipartisan accord Johnson struck with Democratic and Republican leaders — a 1,500-page bill that Trump and Musk rejected, forcing him to start over. It was stuffed with a long list of other bills — including much-derided pay raises for lawmakers — but also other measures with broad bipartisan support that now have a tougher path to becoming law.

House Democrats were cool to the latest effort after Johnson reneged on the hard-fought bipartisan compromise.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said it looked like Musk, the wealthiest man in the world, was calling the shots for Trump and Republicans.

“Who is in charge?” she asked during the debate.

Still, the House Democrats put up more votes than Republicans for the bill’s passage. Almost three dozen conservative House Republicans voted against it.

“The House Democrats have successfully stopped extreme MAGA Republicans from shutting down the government, crashing the economy and hurting working-class Americans all across the nation,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

In the Senate, almost all the opposition came from the Republicans — except independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who said Musk’s interference was “not democracy, that’s oligarchy.”

Trump, who has not yet been sworn into office, is showing the power but also the limits of his sway with Congress, as he intervenes and orchestrates affairs from Mar-a-Lago alongside Musk, who is heading up the new Department of Government Efficiency.

The incoming Trump administration vows to slash the federal budget and fire thousands of employees and is counting on Republicans for a big tax package. And Trump’s not fearful of shutdowns the way lawmakers are, having sparked the longest government shutdown in history in his first term at the White House.

“If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now,” Trump posted early in the morning on social media.

More important for the president-elect was his demand for pushing the thorny debt ceiling debate off the table before he returns to the White House. The federal debt limit expires Jan. 1, and Trump doesn’t want the first months of his new administration saddled with tough negotiations in Congress to lift the nation’s borrowing capacity. Now Johnson will be on the hook to deliver.

“Congress must get rid of, or extend out to, perhaps, 2029, the ridiculous Debt Ceiling,” Trump posted — increasing his demand for a new five-year debt limit increase. “Without this, we should never make a deal.”

Government workers had already been told to prepare for a federal shutdown that would send millions of employees — and members of the military — into the holiday season without paychecks.

Biden has been in discussions with Jeffries and Schumer, but White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “Republicans blew up this deal. They did, and they need to fix this.”

As the day dragged on, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell stepped in to remind colleagues “how harmful it is to shut the government down, and how foolish it is to bet your own side won’t take the blame for it.”

At one point, Johnson asked House Republicans at a lunchtime meeting for a show of hands as they tried to choose the path forward.

It wasn’t just the shutdown, but the speaker’s job on the line. The speaker’s election is the first vote of the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, and some Trump allies have floated Musk for speaker.

Johnson said he spoke to Musk ahead of the vote Friday and they talked about the “extraordinary challenges of this job.”