Why has Elon Musk been pushing for a government shutdown?
Americast
BBC
4.3 • 3.1K Ratings
🗓️ 19 December 2024
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The US could face a government shutdown at midnight on Saturday, and Elon Musk is pushing for it.
President-elect Donald Trump followed his calls to reject a bill that would have kept the government funded through March.
Without it, some public services could be put of hold…
So what’s it all about and how serious would it be? Justin, Anthony and Marianna explain. Plus, Walker Watch returns!
HOSTS:
- Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter - Marianna Spring, Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent - Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:04.9 | Okay, folks, it's that time of year again. |
| 0:06.9 | Exactly. Stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and we're getting ready for a possible |
| 0:11.7 | government shutdown here in Washington, D.C. |
| 0:14.8 | Okay, so in very, very brief, what's happening is that Donald Trump doesn't think much of the |
| 0:19.4 | money arrangements they're about |
| 0:21.5 | to pass through Congress. They need to have the votes of Republicans, obviously, in the House of |
| 0:26.1 | Representatives who are in the majority there, and he has put pressure on them not to say yes to it, |
| 0:33.4 | so it doesn't go through. And what doesn't go through, and we've discussed this loads of times |
| 0:37.3 | on the programme |
| 0:38.4 | when there isn't the money to fund the federal government, |
| 0:40.9 | then various things done by the federal government, |
| 0:43.3 | at least in theory, closed down. |
| 0:45.5 | And as ever, because it wouldn't be an episode of AmeriCast |
| 0:48.4 | if I didn't mention Elon Musk. |
| 0:50.6 | Elon Musk has got very, very involved, |
| 0:53.5 | including on X, where he shared dozens and dozens of posts about this. |
| 0:57.1 | And there are lots of questions over the impact that he's had on the whole situation as it's unfolded. |
| 1:01.5 | Welcome to AmeriCast. |
| 1:05.1 | AmeriCast from BBC News. |
| 1:08.1 | God spared my life for a reason. |
| 1:11.5 | Only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars. |
... |
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