Republican strategist Scott Jennings dipped his head into a trash can during CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” on Thursday after host Jake Tapper asked who he would side with in billionaire Elon Musk’s and President Donald Trump’s feud.
A public argument began between Trump and Musk on Thursday after the billionaire continued to rally against the president’s “big, beautiful bill.” While discussing Musk’s and Trump’s fallout, Tapper asked Jennings who he would side with “in the divorce.”
“Let me just tell you what every Republican is doing. I have my, here’s where we are today. We’re literally, heads are in the garbage can right now. That’s the state of everybody I know at the moment,” Jennings said as he placed his head in a black trash can.
“Not going to lie, it’s an ugly day. And, you know, you hate it when your friends are fighting,” Jennings added. “I continue to believe that their partnership last year saved America. I also continue to believe their goals are not mutually exclusive. Trump needs to pass his agenda, which this bill is his agenda. It’s what he ran on.”
With the Senate expected to take a vote on the budget reconciliation package, Republicans like Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky have been vocal about their dissatisfaction with the legislation. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: GOP Sen Says ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill Must Provide Permanent Tax Relief Before He Can Vote ‘Yes’)
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During a CBS News interview in May, Musk called out Republican support of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” arguing that it would contradict the cost-cutting work of the Department of Government Efficiency. Similar to some Republican senators’ warnings, Musk said the bill could potentially increase the deficit.
“Elon wants to save America from going bankrupt, which they can also do if the Republicans in Congress and everybody works together, all of these things can happen,” Jennings said. “When the fights get personal, though, it means the enemy is advancing. And, in this case, it means the Democrats are laughing and advancing.”
“So, hopefully, cooler heads will soon prevail,” Jennings said. “The president can get his agenda, and Elon can convince the Republicans that the debt is a serious problem, but [I’m] not going to lie. Rough day for the Republicans.”
White House officials have pushed back against opponents of the bill, with White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller writing on X that the bill would save “more than 1.6 TRILLION in mandatory spending, including the largest-ever welfare reform.”
Despite concerns about the bill not being able to pass and head to Trump’s desk by July 4, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in May that he believes there’s a “workable path” to secure 51 votes.
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