The government shutdown showdown of December 2024 was the first big test of president-elect Donald Trump’s influence over Republicans in Congress.

It was one he struggled to meet. The chaos of the last few days exposed some of the limits of his power and control of his party as he prepares to re-enter the White House.

One day after Trump derailed a bipartisan government funding bill – with a big assist from the world’s richest man, Elon Musk – he issued a new demand, for a stripped-down government funding bill that would also raise the limit on how much new debt the federal government can issue to fund its spending.

It was a big ask for many congressional conservatives who have long demanded that any debt increase at least be accompanied by cuts to what they view as out-of-control government spending. And Democrats, and more than a few Republicans, rejected it.