Report: Priebus Brought In Boehner To Convince Trump Not To Shut Down Gov’t

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, participates in a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., seeking unity in a place it's rarely found, is telling House Republica... House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, participates in a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., seeking unity in a place it's rarely found, is telling House Republicans he will serve as their speaker only if they embrace him by week's end as their consensus candidate. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) MORE LESS
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President Donald Trump was so averse to signing the spending bill preventing a government shutdown earlier this month that aides turned to former House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to convince Trump not to veto the measure, Axios reported Sunday.

White House chief of staff Reince Priebus told Boehner that Trump was considering vetoing the spending bill and asked him to convince Trump to sign it instead, according to the report.

Per Axios, Boehner agreed to Priebus’ request, and told Trump in a phone conversation that a shutdown was the last thing he needed.

Though Trump has criticized Boehner (for crying) and the former House speaker predicted in January that “four years from now, Donald Trump may be the immigrant’s best friend,” the President went on to sign the bill and avert the shutdown.

Boehner is no stranger to funding fights. In 2013, he led his conference to a shutdown over House Republicans’ demands for a one-year delay to a key Obamacare provision, a tactic that rebounded on GOP lawmakers and was ultimately fruitless.

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