Catie Edmondson

Maybe particularly those in tough districts who just went through a bruising reelection who maybe want to show off their bipartisan bona fides by saying, you know, I will work with Republicans to avert a shutdown before the holidays. I don't know what the answer is yet. We still have to figure that out.

Maybe particularly those in tough districts who just went through a bruising reelection who maybe want to show off their bipartisan bona fides by saying, you know, I will work with Republicans to avert a shutdown before the holidays. I don't know what the answer is yet. We still have to figure that out.

I don't know. I don't think the promise was 20 days of a shutdown. Right. Agreed. I think that most people would agree that there's probably a lot of inefficiency in our government that would be rooted out that the American people would love to see.

I don't know. I don't think the promise was 20 days of a shutdown. Right. Agreed. I think that most people would agree that there's probably a lot of inefficiency in our government that would be rooted out that the American people would love to see.

I don't know that having a shutdown, which, you know, the shutdown in 2018 that Maggie referred to as partial shutdown, this would be a full shutdown unless Congress passed legislation. some sort of interim measure, right? Was the promise having the troops furloughed? Was the promise having government services TSA over the holidays furloughed? I don't really think that was the pledge, right?

I don't know that having a shutdown, which, you know, the shutdown in 2018 that Maggie referred to as partial shutdown, this would be a full shutdown unless Congress passed legislation. some sort of interim measure, right? Was the promise having the troops furloughed? Was the promise having government services TSA over the holidays furloughed? I don't really think that was the pledge, right?

The pledge was we are going to take everything you hate about government and get rid of it, not we're going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The pledge was we are going to take everything you hate about government and get rid of it, not we're going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Yeah, I mean, as Maggie said, I think this is what he expected his relationship with Republican leaders on the Hill was going to be like. You have McConnell leaving Senate Republican leadership, who is often a foil for him on the Hill. You have in Mike Johnson someone who has really tied his own political future to Trump's. At the same time, what was his big success this week?

Yeah, I mean, as Maggie said, I think this is what he expected his relationship with Republican leaders on the Hill was going to be like. You have McConnell leaving Senate Republican leadership, who is often a foil for him on the Hill. You have in Mike Johnson someone who has really tied his own political future to Trump's. At the same time, what was his big success this week?

It was blowing something up. And that is what he has always been successful at doing on the Hill. But when it comes to the dawn of his second term, there's going to be a lot of building that actually has to happen, a lot of consensus building that has to happen if he wants to pass one or two even major tax bills. And that is going to be extraordinarily difficult.

It was blowing something up. And that is what he has always been successful at doing on the Hill. But when it comes to the dawn of his second term, there's going to be a lot of building that actually has to happen, a lot of consensus building that has to happen if he wants to pass one or two even major tax bills. And that is going to be extraordinarily difficult.

And I am going to be very curious to see if he's able to use his power to actually build put something together as opposed to just tearing it down.

And I am going to be very curious to see if he's able to use his power to actually build put something together as opposed to just tearing it down.

Thank you, Michael.

Thank you, Michael.