President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon said that he would back another federal government shutdown if Democrats in Congress don’t agree to immigration legislation that encompasses the White House’s demands.
“If we don’t change the legislation,” Trump said at a White House roundtable on the MS-13 gang. “Let’s have a shutdown. We’ll do a shutdown.”
“I’d love to see a shutdown if we don’t get this taken care of,” the President continued.
Trump made the comments after complaining that laws in the United States are too restrictive when it comes to deporting immigrants who are “literally killers.”
He complained several times during the roundtable Tuesday afternoon that the administration has not gotten enough support from Democrats in Congress.
After calling for a shutdown, Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA) told the President that Congress doesn’t “need a government shutdown over this,” touting a bill currently working its way through the House.
In response, Trump told Comstock, “We’re not getting support from the Democrats.”
Trump’s suggestion that the federal government shut down again this year came after he lambasted Democrats over the January shutdown. The President tried to blame Democrats for the shutdown, despite the fact that Republicans control the White House and both branches of Congress.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer quickly weighed in on Trump’s call for a shutdown Tuesday afternoon, telling reporters that nobody else wants the federal government to shut down.
“We had one Trump shutdown. Nobody wants another, maybe, except him,” Schumer said.
Cameron Joseph contributed reporting.
