Unelected White House official Elon Musk is hoping the federal government shuts down — which would mean the Republican continuing resolution doesn’t pass the Senate — so that he can fired of hundreds of thousands of federal workers, which could shut down many government agencies, reports Wired:
“A shutdown has been his preference,” says one Republican familiar with the situation, referring to Musk. “I think he’s boxed in there by the president. I think it would be really hard for him to get around that.”
…A second Republican who had heard about Musk’s desire for a government shutdown tells WIRED that the billionaire’s goal is for the continuing resolution—a spending bill to temporarily fund the government—to tank, if only to achieve a brief government shutdown.
“You know none of this is about saving money, right?” says a third Republican familiar with the behind-the-scenes push from Musk. “It’s all about destroying a liberal power base.”
The Washington Post reports President Donald Trump and Republican leadership want the continuing resolution to pass the Senate:
The White House pushed House Republicans to vote for the measure to fund the government through September, helping to overcome lingering GOP concerns over the legislation. It will need Democratic votes to pass the Senate with a Saturday morning shutdown deadline looming. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, spoke to a group of business leaders Tuesday amid his administration’s escalating trade war, which has deepened a sell-off on Wall Street and renewed fears about the stability of the U.S. economy.
(Sources: Wired, The Washington Post)