The former president says Republicans ‘worried that they will be blamed for the Budget Shutdown,’ are wrong.
Former President Donald Trump blasted Republicans in a post on Truth Social as members of Congress scramble to negotiate a budget to keep the government in operation, calling on them to “shut it down.”
“The Republicans lost big on Debt Ceiling, got NOTHING, and now are worried that they will be BLAMED for the Budget Shutdown. Wrong!!! Whoever is President will be blamed, in this case, Crooked (as Hell!) Joe Biden!” he wrote, referring to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) repeated imploring of House Republicans to avert a shutdown.
While President Trump did not mention Mr. McCarthy by name, he referenced Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who he said has “already given the Democrats everything” in negotiations, such as agreeing to raise the debt ceiling.
Mr. McConnell has been facing public scrutiny after two health episodes during press conferences, where he froze and was unable to speak for half a minute. A medical doctor cleared him as fit for duty, but recent polls have shown that Americans say many politicians are too old. Mr. McConnell is 81, just a year older than President Joe Biden.
“We need new, & real Republican leadership in the United States Senate, not a clone of Mitch, & we need it now!!!” President Trump wrote.
However, the 45th president’s comments could certainly hurt Mr. McCarthy’s efforts to get House Republicans to take the possibility of a shutdown off the table.
“I’ve never seen anybody win a shutdown,” Mr. McCarthy told reporters after the House put forth a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government for another 31 days while negotiations continue. Mr. McCarthy has said that letting federal workers go unpaid only plays into the hands of the Biden administration, urging consensus on the budget.
Contentious issues like illegal immigration, securing the southern border, and funding for Ukraine are still on the table.
The short-term continuing resolution put through the House Rules Committee recently failed, and Democrats have already been pinning the blame of a potential shutdown on Republicans.
By Catherine Yang
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