Q: leading Dems calling Elon Musk President Musk or co-President Musk; KJP: a strategy done many times before
ABC’s Selina Wang: “Just lastly, some leading Democrats are calling Elon Musk President Musk or co-President Musk. What is the White House’s and President Biden’s reaction to this labeling of Elon Musk and whether or not House Republicans are listening more to this billionaire, then the president-elect?”
KJP: “What I can say is congressional Republicans at the direction — and you all know this, you all reported this — of President Trump and Elon Musk are, you know, trying to pave the way. What they’re doing is trying to pave the way for $5 trillion to our national debt. That’s what this decision does. Uh — I mean, you’re talking about — with cuts for billionaires slashing Social Security, slashing Medicare, slashing Head Start. Congressional Republicans did what they did because of what the President-Elect said and what Elon Musk said. That’s the reality. You guys all reported this. That’s why we are where we are today, so this is for Speaker Johnson to fix. This is the mess that he created. He needs to fix this again, a bipartisan agreement. There is a bipartisan agreement.”
ABC’s Selina Wang: “Why hasn’t President Biden said anything in the public about this? Don’t the American people deserve to know why millions of federal workers could enter this holiday period without a paycheck?”
KJP: “Well, Americans need to know that Republicans are getting in the way here, and they are the ones who have created this mess. That’s the reality. That’s the fact. And the President — and let me just take a step back. We — this is not the first time we’ve been here and the President has had this approach before. He understands how Congress works. He’s been around for some time. He understands what strategy works here to get this done. So this is not, this is not the first time that we’re — I’m being asked this question about the president and his outreach. I just mentioned he made two calls. He was in touch — he was in touch with the leader — uh — the Democratic leaders in both the House and the Senate, Schumer and — and Jeffries. So — and his team is continuing to have that conversation, but this is the mess that was created by Speaker Johnson. He needs to fix this. That’s what the American people need to be very clear about, very clear. There was a bipartisan agreement. And he’s not holding up his side of the bargain here.”
ABC’s Selina Wang: “We hear that message from you, but why aren’t we hearing that directly from the president? Why haven’t we seen or heard from President Biden himself?
KJP: “This is a strategy that we have done many times before, not the first time and this is for Republicans in Congress, in the House specifically to fix. They created this mess. There was a bipartisan agreement. There was a bipartisan agreement. There was. There was a bipartisan agreement.”
Wang: “So, he doesn’t feel the need to come in front of cameras and speak to the American people?”
KJP: “There was a bipartisan agreement. There was a bipartisan agreement and so, what we want to do and what we want — uh — what the president wants to make sure we do is — he stands to ready to help get a bipartisan deal through that’s what he wants to see and — um — you know, this is something that — uh — Republicans should own here. Uh — what they tried to jam at the 11th hour — uh — doesn’t reflect and — uh — what the deal with that bipartisan deal that they came up with obviously with Democrats and, you know, they’re showing — Republicans are showing a disregard for the American public.”
Q: leading Dems calling Elon Musk President Musk or co-President Musk; KJP: a strategy done many times before