President-elect Donald J. Trump has expressed confidence in House Speaker Mike Johnson retaining his role—if he handles spending legislation to prevent a government shutdown correctly. “If the speaker acts decisively, and tough, and gets rid of all of the traps being set by the Democrats, which will economically and, in other ways, destroy our country, he will easily remain speaker,” he said. However, he warned, “Anybody that supports a bill that doesn’t take care of the Democrat quicksand known as the debt ceiling should be primaried and disposed of as quickly as possible.”
Trump differs from the GOP in that he rejects not only the current spending bill, which includes all manner of controversial provisions, but also a so-called “clean” continuing resolution (CR), which would keep the government running as is with no policy changes or new conditions. Instead, the President-elect wants an otherwise “clean” CR that also lifts the debt ceiling.
“If Republicans try to pass a clean Continuing Resolution without all of the Democrat ‘bells and whistles’ that will be so destructive to our Country, all it will do, after January 20th, is bring the mess of the Debt Limit into the Trump Administration, rather than allowing it to take place in the Biden Administration,” Trump argued in a Truth Social post early Thursday.
“Any Republican that would be so stupid as to do this should, and will, be Primaried. Everything should be done, and fully negotiated, prior to my taking Office on January 20th, 2025.”
