In less than 24 hours, a bipartisan deal in Congress went from on track to off the table.
The deal was loaded with a lot more than a bill to avert a government shutdown. It included disaster aid and 100% funding to replace the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and it paved the way for the Washington Commanders to relocate from Maryland to Washington, D.C.
Some Republicans — especially the House Freedom Caucus — complained about the add-ons and what they viewed as runaway spending. But it was a repost from Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire with outsized influence on President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda, that widely spread inaccurate information about the stadium deal.
With one tap on his social media platform, X, Musk was able to reach 208 million followers and undo weeks of bipartisan negotiations on Capitol Hill. It could mean, at least, a $1.9 billion loss in federal aid to Maryland and could impact federal workers who live in the state if a government shutdown begins this weekend.
The deal would have transferred RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia for 99 years. It would have enabled the Commanders, who previously played at RFK, to build a new stadium at the site.
An X post from conservative influencer Mario Nawfal incorrectly stated that the bipartisan spending bill included $3 billion for a new football stadium.
“This should not be funded by your tax dollars!” Musk said as he reposted Nawfal.
The spending bill did not include any federal funding for a stadium, and language in the bill prohibits it.
Nawfal eventually edited his post, but that was after it had gone viral and been reposted by Musk.
An X post Wednesday from the Department of Government Efficiency, an unofficial federal agency headed by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, also shared misinformation. It claimed the bill that was intended to avert a government shutdown included “a new football stadium in D.C.” among other things.
But the bill did not provide a new football stadium. It transferred land from the federal government to the District of Columbia. It would be up to a team to work with the District of Columbia to build a new stadium. The federal government — and federal tax dollars — would not be used.
Shortly after Musk’s critical posts, Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance issued a statement describing Congress’ bill as “a betrayal of our country.”
As of Thursday afternoon, some Trump allies were calling for a government shutdown — a decision that would furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers before the holidays, including those who live in Maryland.
Have a news tip? Contact politics editor Candy Woodall at cwoodall@baltsun.com.