Trump Again Threatens to Shut Down the Government Over Border Security Rankling Republicans
Build Border Wall or Government Volition Be Shut Downwardly, Trump Says
Video
transcript
transcript
Trump Doubles Downward on Government Shutdown Over Edge Security
The comments came a day later on President Trump had threatened a shutdown on Twitter, to the consternation of some Republicans in Congress.
-
As far equally the border is concerned, and personally if we don't get border security after many, many years of talk within the United States, I would have no problem doing a shutdown. Information technology'southward time we had proper border security. We're the laughingstock of the world. We accept the worst clearing laws anywhere in the earth.
WASHINGTON — President Trump reiterated on Mon his threat to shut downwards the federal government this fall if Congress does not deliver on Republican demands to fissure downward on immigration past enforcing security on the edge with Mexico and building his long-promised wall.
"If nosotros don't get border security later on many, many years of talk within the United States, I would have no problem doing a shutdown," Mr. Trump said during a 40-infinitesimal news conference with Giuseppe Conte, the visiting Italian prime number minister. "We're the laughingstock of the world."
Mr. Trump repeated his vow for the 2d time in 2 days, standing to rattle those in his party who are leery of a difficult midterm election season and are focused on confirming Guess Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Courtroom.
If potentially throwing his party into disarray bothered the president, information technology did not show.
"We have the worst clearing laws anywhere in the globe," Mr. Trump added.
Aside from serving as a vehicle for two populist leaders to vocalisation their immigration concerns, the news conference was the starting time time Mr. Trump had taken questions from journalists since a taped conversation surfaced between him and Michael D. Cohen, his longtime lawyer, in which they discussed payments to a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump. The chat, taped weeks before the 2016 ballot, showed that Mr. Trump knew most the payments, a fact that his campaign had denied.
His comments on immigration did not notice a welcome reception on Capitol Hill, where Republicans staring toward November's elections were quick to distance themselves. The party risks losing control of i or both chambers, and its leaders have made abundantly clear they see no upside to a messy authorities shutdown in the weeks before voters cast their ballots.
"Obviously up here, we want to keep the regime upwardly and operation," said Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 3 Senate Republican. "I'thou not sure where the president is coming from."
Senator Orrin Thou. Hatch of Utah, the longest serving Republican in the Senate, chalked the comments upward to a negotiating technique — though perhaps an sick-advised one.
"He knows the game," Mr. Hatch said. "Simply we don't desire to exercise that again. Nobody wants that."
Republican leaders in both chambers look to pass the majority of the 12 appropriations bills necessary to go along the government operating before Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal yr. Between those bills and a curt-term spending mensurate to bridge the gap, they believe they tin push off any potential fights — including over border wall funding — until later in the fall.
That, at least, was the plan Republican leaders pitched last week to Mr. Trump at the White House. They left thinking they had reached a common understanding.
"I was a little surprised that he brought it back up again," Senator John Cornyn of Texas said. "Only I know information technology's actually a burr nether his saddle."
Democrats, who have fought against funding for Mr. Trump's wall at every turn, quickly turned the comments to their advantage, painting Mr. Trump every bit an erratic and irresponsible negotiator.
"You've got to be kidding me. Mr. President , you cannot — in the aforementioned judgement — talk about security of this country and call for a government shutdown," Senator Thomas R. Carper, Democrat of Delaware, wrote on Twitter. "A authorities shutdown threatens our economy and our country's condom."
Some other Democrat, Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, dismissed the comments every bit a "red-meat toss." He said the reactions of Republican leaders on Capitol Colina, who could stand to catch the blame in such a scenario, made clear that Mr. Trump was on his own.
"Oh, nosotros can't take him seriously on this," he said Mon evening. "His statements on the wall have been unintelligible."
Mr. Conte'due south visit, coming equally those in Mr. Trump'south political party grappled with his comments on immigration, appeared to be a welcome one for Mr. Trump. During the visit, Mr. Trump repeatedly emphasized their similarities every bit populist leaders who rose to victory by promising to crack downward on immigration. Mr. Trump praised Mr. Conte's similarly difficult-line stance to tightening his land's borders, saying at ane point that their views on immigration had been a significant cistron in both of their ballot victories.
"We are outsiders to politics, tin you believe it?" the president asked Mr. Conte, another leader elected to office among the anti-establishment waves sweeping through Western governments.
At one indicate, Mr. Conte was asked about Mr. Trump's behavior at the NATO superlative meeting, where the president this calendar month seemed to set on his closest Western allies and strike a conciliatory stance with Russian federation. As Mr. Trump smiled and listened, the prime minister praised him as someone who brought "fruitful exchanges" to the tabular array with his allies.
"He'southward a slap-up negotiator," Mr. Conte added.
As he escorted Mr. Conte away from reporters, cameras and microphones, Mr. Trump ignored multiple shouted questions nigh Mr. Cohen.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/30/us/politics/trump-government-shutdown.html