**A New Era in Washington: The Unexpected Deal Between Donald Trump and Elon Musk**
The political turmoil in Washington is reaching new heights with the unexpected alliance between President-elect Donald Trump and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. Their recent maneuver has unraveled a temporary financial compromise orchestrated by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to keep the government open until Trump’s term begins.
The stopgap bill includes nearly $100 billion to help Americans affected by several national disasters, support farmers, rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and criminalize revenge porn.
However, Trump and Musk’s action has thrown the capital into one of its classic year-end crises, calling into question Johnson’s hopes of holding on to his job and foreshadowing the chaos that could reign during Trump’s second term.
The rout was accentuated by the Dow’s tenth straight day of losses, matching a performance set under the Ford administration. The declines underscore a volatile national moment and some of the economic challenges Trump could face after the Federal Reserve warned that inflation would rise next year.
The challenge to Johnson’s funding initiative sparked surprise and confusion on Capitol Hill. For many Trump supporters and conservative media advocates who anticipate massive cuts to federal programs, the chaos is intentional. Even if the impasse leads to a dangerous government shutdown, it could represent progress for some who despise government itself on the populist right. By targeting the political status quo before even taking the oath of office, Trump is doing exactly what he promised to do on the campaign trail.
But the sudden imbroglio has also highlighted one of the biggest challenges Trump will face in his second term: If he wants to pass his tax cuts, advance his immigration reforms, defend the country, and leave a meaningful legacy, he will have to find a way to govern, even if it puts him at odds with his core supporters and the Make America Great Again ideologues who seem ready to destroy government.
Style **Fatshimetrie**: A New Era in Washington: The Unexpected Deal Between Donald Trump and Elon Musk