By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Saturday, November 17, 2018
With Congress still not on board his border wall plans, President Trump said Saturday that it’s a “good time to do a shutdown,†suggesting he will refuse to accept any appropriations bills that don’t include the $5 billion he’s asking for.
He did say he doesn’t think one will happen because “Democrats will come to their senses†on the issue.
And he said he’s ready to keep the troops he deployed to the border as long as necessary.
“We’re talking about border wall, we’re talking about quite a big sum of money, about $5 billion,†he told reporters at the White House before jetting off to California to survey the effort to contain wildfires. “This would be a very good time to do a shutdown. I don’t think it’s going to be necessary, because I think the Democrats will come to their senses, and if they don’t come to their senses, we will continue to win elections.â€
For most people in Washington a government shutdown is a sign of failure, but Mr. Trump views it as a weapon to be deployed, and at times has even seemed eager over the possibility.
He said before the election he was cooling shutdown talk because Republicans on Capitol Hill convinced him it was hurting them. But with the election over, he appears emboldened again.
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https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/nov/17/donald-trump-says-its-good-time-do-shutdown/
