WASHINGTON – After days of threats and demands, Donald Trump had little to show once lawmakers passed a budget agreement in the early hours of Saturday, narrowly avoiding a pre-Christmas event government shutdown.

The president-elect was able to push House Republicans to abandon some spending, but he failed to achieve his main goal of increasing the budget. debt limit. This demonstrates that despite his decisive electoral victory and his frequent promises of retaliation, many members of his party are still ready to openly challenge him.

Trump’s decision to wade into the budget debate a month before his inauguration also showed that he remains more adept at blowing up deals than making them, and it portends that his second term will likely be marked by the same infighting, chaos and brinkmanship that characterized his first.

“Stay tuned. Buckle up. Buckle up,” said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., a senior supporter.

A glance at Trump’s agenda reveals a cascade of opportunities for similar confrontations in the years to come. He wants to extend the tax cuts he signed into law seven years ago, reduce the size of government, raise tariffs on imports and crack down on illegal immigrants. Many of these efforts will require buy-in from Congress.

For many Trump supporters, disruption might be its own goal. Thirty-seven percent of those who voted for him this year said they wanted a “complete and total upheaval,” according to AP VoteCast, a broad survey of more than 120,000 voters. Another 56% said they wanted “substantial change.”

But the past few days have made clear how Trump could face difficulty in quickly achieving his goals, especially with Republicans holding only slim majorities in the House and Senate. Some lawmakers already seem weary of the apparent lack of a unified strategy.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said the budget battle was “a valuable lesson in how to pull ourselves together.”

“There are no layups and it gets more complicated,” he said.

How Trump’s demands fell flat

The problems began when top lawmakers released a copy of the bill, known as a continuing resolution, needed to keep the federal government functioning through March. It was not the president-elect but Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and Trump confidant, who began stoking opposition to the legislation on social media by calling it excessive spending.

Trump finally waded into the fight. He ordered Republicans to rescind the bipartisan deal they had made with Democrats. And he demanded that they raise the debt ceiling – the limit on how much the government can borrow – in hopes of preventing this thorny issue from arising while he is in charge.

He increased the pressure even as his demands evolved. He first wanted to eliminate the debt ceiling completely. He then wanted to suspend it until 2027. He then proposed an extension until 2029.

In the event of a shutdown, Democratic President Joe Biden would take responsibility, Trump insisted.

“All Republicans, and even Democrats, should do what’s best for our country and vote ‘YES’ on this bill TONIGHT! Trump wrote Thursday, before the vote on a version of the bill that included a higher debt limit.

Instead, 38 Republicans voted no. It is a stunning setback for Trump, whose power over his party has at times seemed near absolute.

“Without this, we should never make a deal,” he wrote on Truth Social, his social network.

If he doesn’t get what he wants, Trump said, there should be a government shutdown. He also said members of his own party would face major challenges if they refused to accept, saying “Republican obstructionists must be eliminated.” » He referred to Representative Chip Roy of Texas by name and with insults.

But ultimately, lawmakers left that debt ceiling increase alone, and a final deal was passed Saturday morning.

Musk and other Trump allies tried to present this as a victory because the final legislation was significantly slimmed down and omitted unpopular items such as raising salaries for members of Congress. Charlie Kirk, the prominent conservative activist, wrote on X that Trump “already runs Congress before he takes office!” »

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he had been in “constant contact” with Trump, who, he added, was “certainly happy with this outcome.”

If Trump agreed, he didn’t say so himself.

After days of frequent social media posts, Trump remained silent again Friday. He did not react to the final vote or make a statement. Instead, he went to play golf at his Florida resort.

Karoline Leavitt, a Trump spokeswoman, said the president-elect helped prevent an original deal “full of Democratic pork and pay raises for members of Congress.”

“In January, President Trump and DOGE will continue this important mission to reduce waste in Washington, one bill at a time,” she said. DOGE refers to the Department of Government Efficiency, an advisory committee that will be led by Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

More clashes to come

The circus atmosphere of the funding fight is reminiscent of Trump’s first term. At the time, a budget impasse led to a government shutdown when Trump demanded money for his U.S.-Mexico border wall. After 35 days – the longest shutdown in history – he agreed to a deal without the money he wanted.

It was a political low point for Trump, and 60% of Americans blamed him for the shutdown, according to a poll at the time from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Trump then continued to try to bend Republicans to his will. He certainly won’t do it now.

He has increased pressure on his own party over the Cabinet choices he has made, pushing reluctant Republican senators to embrace some of his more controversial choices, such as anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as as Secretary of Health and Fox News host Pete. Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.

Next year’s spending debates will certainly appear to further test Trump’s influence in the House. Many conservatives view the rapid growth of the federal debt as an existential threat to the country that must be addressed. But some Republicans fear a voter backlash if deep cuts are made to the federal programs Americans rely on.

Concerns about deficit spending could intensify if Trump implements costly tax cuts he promised during the campaign, such as eliminating taxes on tips, Social Security and overtime pay.

He also wants to extend tax cuts he signed into law in 2017 that expire next year. He asked for more lower the US corporate tax rate from 21% to 15%, but only for companies that produce in the United States.

Trump said he would pay for falling revenues with aggressive new tariffs that economists say would lead to higher prices for consumers.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Republican of Texas, said spending cuts would likely continue to drive a wedge between Trump and House Republicans.

“This was never really a Trump campaign promise, but it’s a big priority for House Republicans,” he said.

It didn’t seem like the animosity was letting up Saturday. Some Republicans criticized House leaders for not getting Trump’s “blessing” on the initial deal. Democrats have presented Trump as second fiddle to Musk.

While Trump remained silent, Biden announced that he had signed the budget bill.

“This deal represents a compromise, meaning neither side got everything they wanted,” he said. “But he rejects the fast track to a tax cut for billionaires that Republicans have been calling for, and he ensures that the government can continue to operate at full capacity.”

___ Boak reported from West Palm Beach, Fla., and Colvin from New York.