House Democrats were furious on Thursday over the spending drama and what they called the outsized influence of Elon Musk and others in President-elect Donald Trump's circle, after a bipartisan plan launched by House Speaker Mike Johnson collapsed a few hours earlier.
Speaking to reporters outside a leadership conference on Thursday, House Democrats expressed frustration with Republicans for moving away from the debate, with many accusing them of appearing to take notes from Elon Musk.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, DN.Y., wrote the billionaire owner X “President Musk” while talking to reporters on Thursday.
“For Republicans, for President Musk to step in at the last minute and kill the deal is intolerable,” Nadler said. “You have to negotiate, and you have to be able to implement what you negotiate, and what was negotiated was a very good deal for the American people.”
JOHNSON IS WINNING WITH RELEVANT LANGUAGES AS CONSERVATIVE REBELS FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICE POLICY.
Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern. (Fox News)
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said their caucus is “disappointed” in House Speaker Johnsonsaying it appears that Musk is the “president” and Trump the “vice president.”
This was confirmed by Rep. Greg Casar, D-Tex. “My main question is if Elon Musk is the cosplay president here, I don't know why Trump doesn't just give him the Oval Office.”
“Speaker Johnson probably just has to shake hands with Elon Musk if only they want that billionaire to run the country,” Casar told reporters outside the House Democrat leadership meeting.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, left, and Elon Musk disagree on a federal spending bill that could lead to a federal bankruptcy. (Jean Catuffe/GC Images/Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO WHAT TO DO WITH THE TEMPORARY SERVICE MANAGER.
House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., was emotional as she expressed her frustration with the lengthy negotiations and a revised debt ceiling deal, saying that in her view, Ma -Republican “needs to do the right thing for once.”
He noted that he has “thousands of neighbors” and others in his district who are waiting for disaster relief or Small Business Administration loan “Those are loans that help people fix their homes. Those are loans that help small businesses get back on their feet.”
President-elect Donald Trump, left, and Elon Musk pose for a photo during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2024 New York City. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
He noted that Republicans didn't bring that money back in the final spending bill, so in the meantime, these people are “left out.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“I just wanted to point out that this kind of chaos and inaction has real-world consequences for hard-working people, and it's irresponsible and wrong,” he said.
Musk's team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on his role in the investment negotiations.