On Wednesday night, CNN’s NewsNight panel got heated during a discussion about the GOP’s failed spending bill, which was rejected by President-elect Donald Trump and his close ally, Elon Musk.
Maria Cardona, a Democratic strategist, didn’t hold back. She called out Republicans, saying they’ve shown they have “no ability to govern” after House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) temporary spending bill was shot down... Continue reading here ▶
The bill would have funded the government until mid-March, but the incoming administration wasn’t on board.
“They don’t even seem interested in governing,” Cardona said, clearly fed up.
That comment immediately sparked a loud back-and-forth with Republican panelists Gail Huff Brown, a former congressional candidate, and Arthur Aidala, a New York attorney.
“Would you rather have a bad bill?” Brown fired back.
“What’s so bad about this bill?” asked Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell.
Cardona argued that the bill should have been passed as is, pointing out that it had bipartisan support. Meanwhile, Aidala defended Trump’s decision to lean on Musk for advice, which led Rampell to sigh and say, “Elon Musk bought Twitter and basically set $44 billion on fire.”
Aidala quickly responded, “Ok, but he got it to burn! You gotta give him credit for that.”
The debate heated up further when Rampell suggested Tesla’s rising stock prices might be linked to Musk’s influence with Trump, which some believe could benefit Tesla through favorable policies. Aidala jumped in, shouting, “70 percent of electric cars are Tesla!”
Cardona didn’t hold back, criticizing Musk for wanting to tear down the same government that helped him build his businesses. Aidala tried to interrupt, accusing her of contradicting herself.
“You’re saying he knows how the government works,” Aidala said.
Cardona clarified, saying Musk’s knowledge is limited to federal contracts, not actual governance. “That’s not government,” she shot back.
The lively exchange ended with neither side backing down. If you’re interested, you can watch the clip below or click here.
