Trump: We'll probably have a shutdown

Trump: We'll probably have a shutdown

President Donald Trump has shrugged off the threat of a government shutdown, blaming Democrats for any disruption. Speaking to reporters as he left the White House on Friday, Trump stated, "These people are crazy, the Democrats, so if it has to shut down, it’ll have to shut down. But they’re the ones that are shutting down" . This comes four days before the government funding lapses, reflecting a confidence among Republican leaders that they have the upper hand in the shutdown fight.

Trump's comments align with those of House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, both Republicans, who have refused to accede to Democrats' calls to include health care provisions on a bill that will keep the government operating for seven more weeks. Republicans argue that what Democrats are pushing for is too costly and too complicated to negotiate with the threat of a government shutdown hanging over lawmakers .

The dynamics could change on Monday when Trump has agreed to host Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both Democrats, along with Johnson and Thune. Democrats believe this high-stakes meeting indicates the GOP is feeling pressure to compromise .

Trump has shown no public indication of planning to compromise with Democrats on a shutdown, even as he acknowledges he needs help from at least a handful of them to keep the government open and is willing to meet with them at the White House. However, his administration is sketching plans to implement mass layoffs of federal workers rather than simply furloughing them, furthering their goal of building a far smaller government that aligns with Trump's vision and policy priorities .

The White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has instructed federal agencies to identify programs where discretionary funding will lapse if the US Congress does not pass legislation to keep the federal government open. The memo suggests that programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown .

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has criticized Trump's approach, stating, "This is an attempt at intimidation. Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one—not to govern, but to scare" .

The federal government is on the brink of its 15th partial shutdown since 1981 because lawmakers have failed to agree on a plan for discretionary funding for the new fiscal year, or about one-quarter of the $7 trillion budget .