Welcome to the online edition of From the Politics Desk, our evening newsletter that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News political team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
In today’s issue, senior political reporter Jonathan Allen writes that the government shutdown fight shows that Donald Trump is creating chaos in Washington even before he takes office. We also got an update on House Republicans’ plan to avoid a government shutdown.
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President Trump backs new Republican plan to avoid government shutdown
Written by Scott Wong, Sahil Kapur, Julie Tsirkin, Sider Asghar
House Republicans unveiled a new spending bill Thursday to avert a looming government shutdown, just hours after an initial bipartisan agreement was killed by President-elect Donald Trump.
The new bill, put together by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and other Republican leaders, has the support of President Trump, but appears to be facing opposition from Democratic lawmakers who have not approved it. Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York called the new proposal “laughable.”
The 116-page bill would provide funding to the government through March 14 to avert a government shutdown scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. It also plans to extend the nation’s debt ceiling until January 30, 2027, in response to an important request from President Trump. It also includes disaster relief funds for recovery from hurricanes Helen and Milton and extensions for agricultural funding.
Provisions that infuriated President Trump and his right-wing allies, such as raising the cost of living for members of Congress and giving Washington, D.C., control over stadium grounds for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, are absent.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said he expected a vote on the bill later Thursday. If the bill passes the House, it is unclear how the Democratic-led Senate will respond.
Read the latest information on impending closures here →
📊 Findings: An NBC News review of historical polling data shows that lawmakers have not paid a heavy political price for past government shutdowns. Read more →
President Trump brings chaos to Washington even before he takes office.
Written by Jonathan Allen
There’s only a month left until President Donald Trump’s inauguration, but the U.S. Capitol is already turning into a mosh pit.
Of course, there are a handful of cabinet nominees that will test Senate Republicans’ loyalty to him. They drew the line at former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who withdrew his candidacy for attorney general, but an ethics report on his alleged misconduct will still be released. .
More importantly, President Trump on Wednesday directed Republicans not to vote in favor of a temporary funding bill supported by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), pushing the government toward a shutdown. It was accelerated.
The truth is that the original bill was already in serious trouble, and MAGA-aligned conservatives were pushing for its defeat. Billionaire Elon Musk, who bankrolled his super PAC to help President Trump win, trampled on the bill by threatening electoral retaliation against Republican lawmakers who tried to support it. Only then, with defeat rapidly becoming an obvious conclusion, did Trump stick his fork in it and believe he had made dinner.
And on Thursday afternoon, he supported amendments to the framework. It remains to be seen whether the new plan can secure the necessary votes in the Republican-controlled House and Democratic-controlled Senate, but Trump’s approval is an important step. He has been far more visible in the debate than incumbent President Joe Biden, and is arguably a more volatile personality.
Regardless of the resolution, this episode is a reminder of the chaos in the Trump courtroom. In order to win a second term, he did not campaign with the aim of provoking a crisis. He promised to curb inflation, crack down on illegal immigration, impose tariffs, cut taxes and regulations, and reduce spending of American money on foreign wars.
Although some of his plans may lead to systematic chaos, such as the mass deportation of millions of illegal immigrants, he does not see himself as an agent seeking chaos for his own benefit. I have distanced myself from promoting it.
Now, Trump in his second term looks a little like Trump in his first term.
None of this should come as a surprise to anyone who watched him act as president for the first time. While others see the dysfunction and danger in the crisis, Trump sees an opportunity to gain the upper hand.
In Mr. Trump’s book, the risks of disruption rarely outweigh the potential benefits. So buckle up, Washington.
🗞️ Today’s Top News
🛡️Preparing for Trump 2.0: Lawyers and democracy advocates are beginning to build a national network to help defend and protect those who may be targeted by the Trump administration. Continue reading → ✅ How he did it: Pennsylvania’s Dave McCormick was the only Republican Senate or gubernatorial candidate to defeat a Democrat in a battleground state this year. In an interview with NBC News’ Alan Smith, he reflected on his victory and next steps in the Senate. Continue reading → 🗣️ Q&A: Politico speaks with Chris Lacivita and Tony Fabrizio, the architects of Trump’s 2024 winning campaign, about what the data showed in the final weeks of the campaign, why J.D. Vance He talked about why he was chosen as the number two Republican candidate. , and how voters view the president-elect more as a celebrity than as a politician. Continue reading → 🚓 Inside ICE operations: NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez and Olympia Sonnier are given access to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s ‘targeted enforcement operations’ that arrest one illegal immigrant Efforts could be further expanded by the Trump administration, which has revealed the vast resources needed to do so and raised questions about how those efforts would be conducted. Continue reading → 🍑 Another legal victory for Trump: Georgia appellate court disqualifies Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and continues her efforts to overturn the 2020 election removed her from the prosecution of Trump and his co-defendants. Continue reading → ⚖️ Indictment: Former Florida Republican Rep. David Rivera has been indicted on charges of serving as a foreign agent, participating in a bribery scheme, and money laundering. Continue reading → 🗳️A never-ending election: Republican candidate for North Carolina Supreme Court, trailing Democratic incumbent by just 734 votes, asks court to throw out 60,000 votes from November election I’m looking for it. Read more →
That’s all from the political desk. If you have any feedback, love it or hate it, email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com.
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