Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticized Elon Musk’s perceived influence over the ongoing spending crisis on Capitol Hill.
Her remarks came amid accusations by House Democrats that “Extreme MAGA” Republicans are pushing the nation toward a government shutdown.
Summarizing the situation in a post on X, Clinton stated, “If you’re catching up: the Republican Party, under the sway of the world’s richest man, is poised to shut down the government during the holidays. This would halt paychecks for our troops and cut nutrition benefits for low-income families just in time for Christmas.”
According to Fox News, the U.S. government faces a partial shutdown at midnight Saturday if no agreement is reached to extend funding through March while maintaining 2024 spending levels.
Reports suggest Musk strongly opposed an earlier spending deal negotiated between House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democrats. Musk even threatened to support primary challenges against Republicans who backed the deal.
In response, House Republicans proposed a revised version on Thursday, which included disaster aid and a two-year suspension of the debt ceiling, aligning with requests from former President Donald Trump. However, the proposal failed in the House as some Republicans withheld support, and Democrats largely opposed it, with many expressing frustration over Musk’s apparent sway in the matter.