Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) on Wednesday said he would “strongly advise” President Donald Trump against threatening to shut down the government to obtain funding for his proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I think it’s always a mistake to shut down the government,” Cole said on CNN. “Look, you make life worse for the American people. You put the country at risk.”
He said a government shutdown would show “political dysfunction, particularly when you control the presidency, the Senate and the House.”
“So I would strongly advise against any threat to shut down the government of the United States,” Cole said.
During a campaign rally Tuesday in Phoenix, Trump suggested he would push to tie funding for his proposed border wall to a must-pass government spending bill when Congress returns from its recess.
“The obstructionist Democrats would like us not to do it,” Trump said. “But believe me, if we have to close down our government, we’re building that wall.”
