President Trump on Friday said he’s prepared for a government shutdown over the contentious battle to fund his oft-promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border — and put the blame squarely on Democrats.
“The Democrats now own the shutdown!” Trump wrote on Twitter Friday morning.
Trump’s declaration comes after the House added $5.7 billion for construction of the southern border wall. The Senate is set to take up the proposal at noon today. Congress has until midnight tonight to either pass the spending bills for seven federal agencies or approve a continuing resolution to fund the government for several months.
Trump had more — much more — to say about the wall and the coming Senate vote, and warned that if the government is shut down, it “will last for a very long time.”
“Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!” he warned.
“Senator Mitch McConnell should fight for the Wall and Border Security as hard as he fought for anything. He will need Democrat votes, but as shown in the House, good things happen. If enough Dems don’t vote, it will be a Democrat Shutdown! House Republicans were great yesterday!” Trump wrote.
The president said McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, should employ the “nuclear option,” a move that makes it so only a majority vote of 51 supporters is necessary. All spending bill needs 60 votes to pass the Senate, but McConnell can move around the filibuster, although at this point he is opposed to the idea. Republicans currently hold 51 seats in the Senate.
“Mitch, use the Nuclear Option and get it done! Our Country is counting on you!”
Trump also said: “Senator Mitch McConnell should fight for the Wall and Border Security as hard as he fought for anything. He will need Democrat votes, but as shown in the House, good things happen. If enough Dems don’t vote, it will be a Democrat Shutdown! House Republicans were great yesterday!”
“The Democrats are trying to belittle the concept of a Wall, calling it old fashioned. The fact is there is nothing else’s that will work, and that has been true for thousands of years. It’s like the wheel, there is nothing better. I know tech better than anyone, & technology […] on a Border is only effective in conjunction with a Wall. Properly designed and built Walls work, and the Democrats are lying when they say they don’t. In Israel the Wall is 99.9% successful. Will not be any different on our Southern Border! Hundreds of $Billions saved!” Trump wrote.
Trump also praised House members for returning to Washington to add funding for the wall to the spending bill.
“No matter what happens today in the Senate, Republican House Members should be very proud of themselves. They flew back to Washington from all parts of the World in order to vote for Border Security and the Wall. Not one Democrat voted yes, and we won big. I am very proud of you!”
Trump also blasted Democrats for opposing the wall — and warned the shutdown “will last for a very long time.”
“The Democrats, whose votes we need in the Senate, will probably vote against Border Security and the Wall even though they know it is DESPERATELY NEEDED. If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don’t want Open Borders and Crime!”