President-elect Donald Trump’s associate Elon Musk posted multiple times on X Wednesday railing against the stopgap spending deal congressional leaders released the night before. Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance later denounced the deal, too, almost endorsing a government shutdown.

“Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH,” Trump and Vance wrote in a statement on X. “If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF. It is Schumer and Biden who are holding up aid to our farmers and disaster relief. THIS CHAOS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IF WE HAD A REAL PRESIDENT. WE WILL IN 32 DAYS!”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was regrouping with GOP members Wednesday night to determine a course of action with the federal government set to shut down Friday night, as POLITICO reported. That would shut down some government services and could leave service members, federal transportation personnel, veterans and others without checks through the holidays.

POLITICO photo by Francis Chung