www.nbcnews.com Open in urlscan Pro
2.23.197.15  Public Scan

Form analysis
2 forms found in the DOM

GET https://www.nbcnews.com/search

<form action="https://www.nbcnews.com/search" method="GET" class="search-form js-search-form"><label class="search-label" for="q" id="search_label">Search</label>
  <div class="search-inner"><input type="search" class="search-input js-search-input" aria-labelledby="search_label" id="q" name="q" placeholder="Search NBC News" tabindex="-1"><button class="search-button" tabindex="-1"><span
        class="search-button-icon"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="currentColor" aria-labelledby="search_title">
          <title class="search_title">Search</title>
          <path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M13.773 11.649L20 17.876 17.876 20l-6.227-6.227a7.508 7.508 0 112.124-2.124zm-6.265.364a4.505 4.505 0 100-9.01 4.505 4.505 0 000 9.01z"></path>
        </svg></span></button></div>
</form>

GET https://www.nbcnews.com/search

<form action="https://www.nbcnews.com/search" method="GET" class="search-form js-search-form"><label class="search-label" for="q" id="search_label">Search</label>
  <div class="search-inner"><input type="search" class="search-input js-search-input" aria-labelledby="search_label" id="q" name="q" placeholder="Search NBC News"><button class="search-button"><span class="search-button-icon"><svg
          xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="currentColor" aria-labelledby="search_title">
          <title class="search_title">Search</title>
          <path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M13.773 11.649L20 17.876 17.876 20l-6.227-6.227a7.508 7.508 0 112.124-2.124zm-6.265.364a4.505 4.505 0 100-9.01 4.505 4.505 0 000 9.01z"></path>
        </svg></span></button></div>
</form>

Text Content

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another
browser.
Skip to Content
NBC News Logo
Sponsored By

 * Politics
 * U.S. News
 * Local
   New YorkLos AngelesChicagoDallas-Fort WorthPhiladelphiaWashington,
   D.C.BostonBay AreaSouth FloridaSan DiegoConnecticut
 * World
 * Business
 * Sports
 * Editors' picks
 * Shopping
 * Tipline
 * Health
 * Culture & Trends
 * Science

Watch live



Elon Musk leads charge to kill spending bill meant to avert government shutdown

 * Share & Save —
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 


My NewsManage ProfileEmail PreferencesSign Out
Search
Search

Profile

 My NewsSign Out
 Sign InCreate your free profile

Sections

 * U.S. News
 * Decision 2024
 * Politics
 * World
 * Business
 * Sports
 * Investigations
 * Culture & Trends
 * Health
 * Science
 * Tech & Media
 * Weather
 * Video Features
 * Photos
 * NBC Select
 * NBC Asian America
 * NBC BLK
 * NBC Latino
 * NBC OUT

Local

 * New York
 * Los Angeles
 * Chicago
 * Dallas-Fort Worth
 * Philadelphia
 * Washington, D.C.
 * Boston
 * Bay Area
 * South Florida
 * San Diego
 * Connecticut

tv

 * Today
 * Nightly News
 * MSNBC
 * Meet the Press
 * Dateline

Featured

 * NBC News Now
 * Nightly Films
 * Stay Tuned
 * Special Features
 * Newsletters
 * Podcasts
 * Listen Now

More From NBC

 * CNBC
 * NBC.COM
 * NBCU Academy
 * Peacock
 * NEXT STEPS FOR VETS
 * NBC News Site Map
 * Help

Follow NBC News

 * 
 * 
 * 

news Alerts

There are no new alerts at this time

Search
Search
 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * Email
 * SMS
 * Print
 * Whatsapp
 * Reddit
 * Pocket
 * Flipboard
 * Pinterest
 * Linkedin


 * Latest Stories
 * Politics
 * U.S. News
 * World
 * Business
 * Sports
 * Editors' picks
 * Shopping
 * Tipline
 * Health
 * Culture & Trends
 * Science




Tech News


ELON MUSK LEADS CHARGE TO KILL SPENDING BILL MEANT TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

The tech billionaire posted about the funding bill more than 100 times
Wednesday, helping lead a charge that appears to have increased the likelihood
of a shutdown.
0 of 2 minutes, 15 secondsVolume 0%

Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled
Play/PauseSPACE
Increase Volume↑
Decrease Volume↓
Seek Forward→
Seek Backward←
Captions On/Offc
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf
Mute/Unmutem
Decrease Caption Size-
Increase Caption Size+ or =
Seek %0-9

Settings
OffCCEnglish
Font Color
White

Font Opacity
100%

Font Size
100%

Font Family
Arial

Character Edge
None

Background Color
Black

Background Opacity
50%

Window Color
Black

Window Opacity
0%

Reset
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%
200%175%150%125%100%75%50%
ArialCourierGeorgiaImpactLucida ConsoleTahomaTimes New RomanTrebuchet MSVerdana
NoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop Shadow
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%0%
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%0%
Auto540p (1811 kbps)1080p (4789 kbps)720p (3547 kbps)540p (1811 kbps)360p (979
kbps)270p (515 kbps)270p (288 kbps)
Live
00:05
02:10
02:15






 
Trump denounces massive spending bill, pushing government closer to shutdown
02:15
Get more newsLiveon
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Dec. 19, 2024, 2:12 AM GMT+1
By David Ingram

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is already flexing his newfound political muscle even
before his ally President-elect Donald Trump has taken the oath of office. 

Musk helped lead a revolt Wednesday to try to stop a bipartisan funding bill in
a direct challenge to the authority of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and
others in Republican leadership who helped craft the measure. And in a
remarkable turn, the revolt appeared to succeed at least for a day, throwing
budget negotiations into chaos and increasing the odds of a government shutdown
this weekend. 



AdChoices
REKLAMA



“Yes,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., confirmed to reporters
Wednesday evening when he was asked whether the current bill is now dead. 

Musk posted to X about the funding bill more than 100 times over the course of
the day. He repeatedly called the bill “criminal” and asked his followers to
call their representatives, but he also posted memes, including one of him
taking a sword to the bill and another referring to the “Kill Bill” films from
director Quentin Tarantino. Later in the day, the phrase “Kill Bill” was on X’s
list of trending topics in the United States. 

Musk also issued a midday warning: “Any member of the House or Senate who votes
for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” And when
The Hill newspaper ran a story on its website about the warning, Musk emphasized
his point by approvingly posting a screenshot of the headline. 

Some of Musk’s posts were inaccurate. He said a proposed congressional pay raise
would be 40%, while the maximum potential pay increase in 2025 has already been
set at 3.8%, according to the Congressional Research Service. He also said the
bill was “funding bioweapon labs,” citing a screenshot from the text of the bill
related to “biocontainment laboratories” to better prepare the U.S. to combat
infectious diseases.



And he reposted a false post alleging the bill includes $3 billion for a new NFL
stadium in Washington, D.C., saying it “should not be funded by your tax
dollars.” It isn’t. The bill transfers jurisdiction of RFK Stadium from the
federal government to the capital city, which local leaders have been pushing to
redevelop for the Washington Commanders, who play in Maryland. The bill would
provide no money related to the site, and it would explicitly ban the use of any
federal funds for a stadium there and require the district to pay for any costs
related to the transfer.

His successful lobbying effort prompted Democrats to offer new nicknames for
Musk, including “shadow president” and “co-president.” 

Musk announced his opposition to the bill at 4:15 a.m. ET Wednesday. 

“This bill should not pass,” he said on X. 

The statement put Musk out on a limb as one of the first political figures to
come out against the bill, but 13 hours later Trump himself spoke out in
agreement. What happened in between was a furious online campaign directed by
Musk to try to kill the bill, which he said was “criminal” because of its
1,547-page length and how much money it would spend. 

The measure would have kept the government funded through mid-March. A shutdown
is expected to begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday without action from Congress. 



Musk has never held political office and had barely voted until recently, but
his influence is growing because of the combination of his massive wealth, his
online celebrity, his ownership of X and his monetary and personal support this
fall for Trump’s political comeback. 



Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire, was one of several Democrats questioning
whether Trump was getting rolled by Musk. 

“You have to ask Donald Trump — if Elon Musk is making the decisions,” Shaheen
said Wednesday. 

A Trump transition team official, asked why Trump waited to announce his
opposition until hours after Musk and others had criticized the bill, said: “He
let everyone wonder what he wanted to do. All eyes were on him. When he moved,
it was over. He’s president before becoming president.” 

President Joe Biden’s term ends Jan. 20. 


RECOMMENDED

Government Shutdown


GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNHOW TRUMP AND ELON MUSK CAUSED CONGRESS' NIGHTMARE BEFORE
CHRISTMAS

Misinformation


MISINFORMATIONCELEBRITY PASTOR PLAGUED BY DIDDY MISINFORMATION ON YOUTUBE ASKS
COURT TO INTERVENE

Musk’s position in the Trump administration will be as a nongovernmental adviser
through his co-lead of a government efficiency commission, so his actual
authority is more difficult to measure than that of a Cabinet secretary or a
full-time White House staffer. 



Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment, including about
whether he plans to play a similar role in more legislative debates next year.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said on X: “Democrats and Republicans spent months
negotiating a bipartisan agreement to fund our government. The richest man on
Earth, President Elon Musk, doesn’t like it. Will Republicans kiss the ring?
Billionaires must not be allowed to run our government.” 

Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, spent more than $250 million this year to
boost Trump and other Republicans in the Nov. 5 election. Since then, his own
wealth has soared to more than $450 billion, making him the wealthiest person on
the planet, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. SpaceX is a major
government contractor. 

On the social media app Bluesky, Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said: “Republican
Unelected Co-President Elon Musk has killed the bill to keep the government from
shutting down on Friday. All he had to do was make a few social media posts.” 

Musk appeared to acknowledge his influence, replying with a “saluting face”
emoji to a compliment on X that touted his power. 

Several Republican lawmakers said they were happy Musk intervened, but they
stopped short of giving him all the credit or blame for the failure of the
budget negotiations. 



Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said: “Elon put out a pretty serious post
there. But you know, that’s the sentiment of the American people. This is why we
won on Nov. 5. Everyone is sick and tired of overspending.” 

Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., asked about Musk's comments on the bill, said: “He’s very
influential.”

At least one conservative lawmaker, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., declined to give
Musk credit. He said he opposed the funding bill before Musk did. 

“I appreciate Elon Musk following my lead,” Burchett said on CNN. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said Musk was tapping into or reflecting “a lot of
anger out there.” 

A Senate Republican aide, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, said that
Musk’s role was not decisive and that it risked a backlash. “I think the CR was
already cooked without Elon, but I wouldn’t be thrilled with him playing this
role if I were Trump,” the aide said, using the initialism for a “continuing
resolution.” 



There was no guarantee that Musk’s opposition would succeed. When he announced
his opposition, the betting website Polymarket gave a 12% chance of a government
shutdown this weekend. Throughout the day, amid Musk’s flurry of tweets, the
odds rose to 40%. 

Many of his posts on X got tens of millions of views, according to the app’s
publicly visible data. His initial announcement opposing the bill was seen 32
million times, and a post with a photo of the bill asking, “Ever seen a bigger
piece of pork?” was seen 27 million times. 

David Ingram

David Ingram is a tech reporter for NBC News.

Allan Smith, Sahil Kapur, Matt Dixon and Brennan Leach contributed.


 * About
 * Contact
 * Help
 * Careers
 * Ad Choices
 * Privacy Policy
 * Cookie Notice
 * CA Notice
 * Terms of Service (Updated JULY 7, 2023)
 * NBC News Sitemap
 * Closed Captioning
 * Advertise
 * Select Shopping

© 2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

NBC News LogoMSNBC LogoToday Logo



We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform
analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and
remember website preferences. By using the site, you consent to these cookies.
For more information on cookies including how to manage your consent visit our
Cookie Policy.
Continue



COOKIE NOTICE

This Cookie Notice (“Notice”) explains how NBCUniversal and its affiliates
(“NBCUniversal” or “we”), along with our partners, including advertisers and
vendors, use cookies and similar tracking technologies when you use our
websites, applications, such as games, interactive TV, voice-activated
assistants, and other services that link to this policy, as well as connected
devices, including those used in our theme parks (“Services”). This Notice
provides more information about these technologies, your choices, and is part of
the NBCUniversal Privacy Policy available here. You should read the Privacy
Policy and this Notice for a full picture of NBCUniversal’s use of your
information.

WHAT ARE COOKIES AND HOW ARE THEY USED?

Like many companies, we use cookies (small text files placed on your computer or
device) and other tracking technologies on the Services (referred to together
from this point forward as “Cookies”, unless otherwise stated), including HTTP
cookies, HTML5 and Flash local storage/flash cookies, web beacons/GIFs, embedded
scripts, ETags/cache browsers, and software development kits.

First-party Cookies

First-party Cookies are placed by us (including through the use of third-party
service providers) and are used to allow you to use the Services and their
features and to assist in analytics activities.

Third-party Cookies

Certain third parties may place their Cookies on your device and use them to
recognize your device when you visit the Services and when you visit other
websites or online services. These third parties collect and use this
information pursuant to their own privacy policies. Third-party Cookies enable
certain features or functionalities, and advertising, to be provided on the
Services.

Types of Cookies

The Services use the following types of first and third-party Cookies for these
purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies: These Cookies are required for Service
functionality, including for system administration, security and fraud
prevention, and to enable any purchasing capabilities. You can set your browser
to block these Cookies, but some parts of the site may not function properly.

Information Storage and Access: These Cookies allow us and our partners to store
and access information on the device, such as device identifiers.

Measurement and Analytics: These Cookies collect data regarding your usage of
and performance of the Services, apply market research to generate audiences,
and measure the delivery and effectiveness of content and advertising. We and
our third-party vendors use these Cookies to perform analytics, so we can
improve the content and user experience, develop new products and services, and
for statistical purposes. They are also used to recognize you and provide
further insights across platforms and devices for the above purposes.

Personalization Cookies: These Cookies enable us to provide certain features,
such as determining if you are a first-time visitor, capping message frequency,
remembering choices you have made (e.g., your language preferences, time zone),
and assist you with logging in after registration (including across platforms
and devices). These Cookies also allow your device to receive and send
information, so you can see and interact with ads and content.

Content Selection and Delivery Cookies: Data collected under this category can
also be used to select and deliver personalized content, such as news articles
and videos.

Ad Selection and Delivery Cookies: These Cookies are used to collect data about
your browsing habits, your use of the Services, your preferences, and your
interaction with advertisements across platforms and devices for the purpose of
delivering interest-based advertising content on the Services and on third-party
sites. Third-party sites and services also use interest-based Advertising
Cookies to deliver content, including advertisements relevant to your interests
on the Services and third-party services. If you reject these Cookies, you may
see contextual advertising that may be less relevant to you.

Social Media Cookies: These Cookies are set by social media platforms on the
Services to enable you to share content with your friends and networks. Social
media platforms have the ability to track your online activity outside of the
Services. This may impact the content and messages you see on other services you
visit.

We and third parties may associate Measurement And Analytics Cookies,
Personalization Cookies, Content Selection, Delivery Cookies, and Reporting, Ad
Selection, Delivery and Reporting Cookies, and Social Media Cookies with other
information we have about you.

COOKIE MANAGEMENT

Depending on where you live, you may be able to adjust your Cookie preferences
at any time via the “Cookie Settings” link in the footer of relevant websites.
You can also use the methods described below to manage Cookies. You must take
such steps on each browser or device that you use. If you replace, change or
upgrade your browser or device, or delete your cookies, you may need to use
these opt-out tools again. As some Cookie-management solutions also rely on
Cookies, please adjust your browser Cookie settings carefully, following the
relevant instructions below.

Browser Controls: You may be able to disable and manage some Cookies through
your browser settings. If you use multiple browsers on the same device, you will
need to manage your settings for each browser. Please click on any of the below
browser links for instructions:

Google Chrome
Apple Safari
Mozila Firefox
Microsoft Internet Explorer

If the browser you use is not listed above, please refer to your browser’s help
menu for information on how to manage Cookies. Please be aware that disabling
cookies will not disable other analytics tools we may use to collect information
about you or your use of our Services.

Analytics Provider Opt-Outs: To disable analytics Cookies you can use the
browser controls discussed above or, for some of our providers, you can use
their individual opt-out mechanisms:

Google’s Privacy Policy and Google Analytics Opt-Out
Omniture’s Privacy Policy and Omniture’s Opt-Out
Mixpanel’s Privacy Policy and Mixpanel’s Opt-Out

The above are examples of our analytics providers and this is not an exhaustive
list. We are not responsible for the effectiveness of any other providers’
opt-out mechanisms.

Flash Local Storage: These cookies are also known as local shared objects and
may be used to store your preferences or display content by us, advertisers and
other third-parties. Flash cookies need to be deleted in the storage section of
your Flash Player Settings Manager.

Interest-Based Advertising: Most third-party advertisers offer a way to opt out
of their interest-based advertising. For more information or to opt out of
receiving interest-based advertising from participating third-party advertisers,
depending on your country of residence, please visit:

Digital Advertising Alliance in the US
Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada
European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance
Australian Digital Advertising Alliance

You can also opt out of some of the advertising providers we use by visiting
their opt-out pages:

Google’s Privacy Policy and Google Analytics Opt-Out Page
Facebook Privacy Policy and Facebook’s Opt-Out Page
Twitter Privacy Policy and Twitter’s Opt-Out Page
Liveramp’s Privacy Policy and Liveramp Opt-Out Page

These are examples of our advertising providers and this is not an exhaustive
list. In addition, we are not responsible for the effectiveness of any of these
providers’ opt-out mechanisms.

After you opt out, you will still see advertisements, but they may not be as
relevant to you.

Mobile Settings: You may manage the collection of information for interest-based
advertising purposes in mobile apps via the device’s settings, including
managing the collection of location data. To opt out of mobile ad tracking from
Nielsen or other third parties, you can do so by selecting the “Limit Ad
Tracking” (for iOS devices) or “Opt out of Ads Personalization” (for Android
devices) options in your device settings.

Connected Devices: For connected devices, such as smart TVs or streaming
devices, you should review the device’s settings and select the option that
allows you to disable automatic content recognition or ad tracking. Typically,
to opt out, such devices require you to select options like “limit ad tracking”
or to disable options such as “interest-based advertising,” “interactive TV,” or
“smart interactivity”. These settings vary by device type.

Cross-Device Tracking: If you would like to opt out of our browser-based
cross-device tracking for advertising purposes, you may do so by using the
various methods described above. You must opt out separately on each device and
each browser that you use. For more information about cross-device matching,
please visit the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising
Alliance. If you opt out of cross-device tracking for advertising purposes, we
may still conduct cross-device tracking for other purposes, such as analytics.

Consequences of Deactivation of Cookies: If you disable or remove Cookies, some
parts of the Services may not function properly. Information may still be
collected and used for other purposes, such as research, online services
analytics or internal operations, and to remember your opt-out preferences.



CONTACT US

For inquiries about this Cookies Notice, please contact us at Privacy@nbcuni.com
or Chief Privacy Officer, NBCUniversal Legal Department, 30 Rockefeller Plaza,
New York, NY 10112, US.

For inquiries from users who reside in the European Economic Area, the United
Kingdom or Switzerland, please contact us at Privacy@nbcuni.com or Privacy,
Legal Department, Central Saint Giles, St Giles High Street, London, WC2H 8NU,
UK

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

This Notice may be revised occasionally and in accordance with legal
requirements. Please revisit this Cookie Notice regularly to stay informed about
our and our analytic and advertising partners’ use of Cookies.

STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES

Always Active

These Cookies are required for Service functionality, including security and
fraud prevention, and to enable any purchasing capabilities. You can set your
browser to block these Cookies, but some parts of the site may not function
properly.

Back Button


COOKIE LIST



Search Icon
Filter Icon

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label

Close