President-elect Donald Trump is calling on someone to challenge a Texas Republican over his stance on the bipartisan spending deal that could have avoided a partial government shutdown.
GOP lawmakers are scrambling to reach a spending deal to avoid a government shutdown just before the holidays. Trump and his close advisor, Elon Musk, have threatened any GOP lawmaker who votes against their demands on the spending agreement, but Trump’s latest social media post singles out Republican Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas).
“The very unpopular ‘Congressman’ from Texas, Chip Roy, is getting in the way, as usual, of having yet another Great Republican Victory – All for the sake of some cheap publicity for himself. Republican obstructionists have to be done away with,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Weak and ineffective people like Chip have to be dismissed as being utterly unknowledgeable as to the ways of politics, and as to Making America Great Again. Put ‘America First,’ and go for the Victory, even if it means shutting the Government down for a period of time. We had an overwhelming Victory just four weeks ago, and we’re not going to let the Democrats forget it so quickly!” he added.
In a separate post, Trump wrote that Roy “is just another ambitious guy, with no talent.” He added that he hopes “some talented challengers are getting ready in the Great State of Texas to go after Chip in the Primary,” noting that he “won’t have a chance!”
Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance came out in opposition to the bipartisan spending agreement in a joint statement on Wednesday while also calling on Republicans to support raising the debt ceiling or abolishing it altogether.
Conservatives have often opposed raising the debt ceiling—but Trump has suggested he would rather raise the debt ceiling on President Joe Biden’s watch.
Roy—who initially endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the 2024 GOP presidential primary—appeared to respond to Trump’s threat on social media platform X, reiterating his stance against raising the debt ceiling without “significant” spending cuts.
“My position is simple – I am not going to raise or suspend the debt ceiling (racking up more debt) without significant & real spending cuts attached to it. I’ve been negotiating to that end. No apologies,” he wrote.
Federal funding is scheduled to expire at midnight Friday, a current temporary government funding bill running out as Congress was preparing a new one to keep things running for a few months.
The bipartisan compromise brokered between Johnson and the Democrats, whose support will be needed in the deeply split House and Senate to ensure passage, also tacked on much-anticipated disaster aid — $100.4 billion for states hard hit by Hurricanes Helen and Milton and other natural calamities.
But the 1,500-page bill outraged conservatives for its spending and extras. Musk, in his new foray into politics, led the charge. The wealthiest man in the world used his social media platform X to amplify the unrest, and GOP lawmakers were besieged with phone calls to their offices telling them to oppose the plan
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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