After Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a deal before midnight on Friday, the United States government shut down. Moments later, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to the floor to rip into Donald Trump, which the president was not happy about it.
Trump on government shutdown
On the one-year anniversary of Donald Trump's inauguration, the president woke up to a government shutdown. After weeks of debating, Democrats and Republicans were unable to find common-ground and compromise to fund the government, marking the first shutdown since 2013.
In a last ditch effort, Republicans failed in their attempt to come up with the required 60 votes needed that would have passed a short-term spending bill to fund the government for the next 30 days, but Democrats balked at the idea due to the GOP not allowing an extension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). On the flip side, Republicans and the president demanded that funding for a border wall be included, which their Democratic counterparts wouldn't agree to. In response, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer stood on the Senate floor and put the blame on the commander in chief, calling it the "Trump Shutdown" in using a phrase that quickly became the number one trending hashtag on social media.
In response, Trump lashed out on January 20 during a series of posts on his own Twitter feed.
Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead. #WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018
Taking to Twitter on Saturday morning, Donald Trump went on the attack against the Democrats over the government shutdown.
"Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border," Trump tweeted, while calling for more Republicans in Congress to help "power through mess!"
This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018
"This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present," Donald Trump added in a follow-up tweet, while using the hashtag "Democrat Shutdown." In his third tweet on the matter, the president continued his attack.
"For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60," Trump explained. "That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election!" the president wrote, while vowing to eventually "be even tougher on Crime (and Border)" and "even better to our Military & Veterans!.
For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018
In his fourth and final tweet as of press time, Donald Trump was simple and to the point with his tweet, writing, "America First!." In response, the Democrats have no yet made a rebuttal.
Dems: Trump walked away from deal with Schumer to avoid government shutdown https://t.co/vDRY9NKlvV pic.twitter.com/gNbD4icyS2
— The Hill (@thehill) January 20, 2018
Moving forward
With the government shutdown taking place, recent polls show that the majority of the American people put the blame on Donald Trump and the Republican Party. With majority-control in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, a well as the White House, the GOP has a lot of explaining to do as to why the government is now shut down.
