This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/13/shutdown-americans-blame-trump

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Trump losing battle to avoid blame for shutdown as it enters day 23 Trump losing battle to avoid blame for shutdown as it enters day 23
(35 minutes later)
Donald Trump is losing the battle to avoid blame for the government shutdown, according to a new poll. The president has reportedly told advisers he thinks the 23-day partial closure of the federal government, the longest ever, is a win for him. Donald Trump is losing the battle to avoid blame for the government shutdown, according to a new poll. The president has reportedly told advisers he thinks the 23-day partial closure of the US government, the longest ever, is a win for him.
'It's ruining people's lives': federal workers count cost of shutdown'It's ruining people's lives': federal workers count cost of shutdown
A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Sunday followed trends in previous polling when it showed 53% of respondents saying Trump and Republicans in Congress were to blame for the shutdown, with 29% blaming Democrats and 13% a combination. Around the US, about 800,000 federal workers face increasing hardship without pay and government departments are underfunded and understaffed. Vital services including airport security and nutritional aid to poorer Americans are under increasing strain.
Support for building a border wall, the issue at the heart of the shutdown, increased to 42%, from 34% in January 2018. Among Republicans, 87% supported a wall. On Sunday the president remained in a drastically understaffed White House, tweeting criticism of Democrats and inflammatory messages about migrants and crime, in one case apparently taken directly from Fox News.
On Saturday night, Trump spoke to Fox News host Jeannine Pirro by phone from a drastically understaffed White House. Asked why he had yet to declare a national emergency, to build the wall with funds from military, disaster relief or other budgets, a step Democrats oppose but may be unable to stop, he said he was giving Congress a chance to “act responsibly”. ABC News and the Washington Post released a poll that followed trends when it showed 53% of respondents saying Trump and Republicans in Congress were to blame for the shutdown, with 29% blaming Democrats and 13% a combination. Support for building a border wall, the issue at the heart of the shutdown, increased to 42%, from 34% in January 2018. Among Republicans, 87% supported a wall.
Trump also said he has “no idea” whether he will get a deal with House speaker Nancy Pelosi, who opposes funding an “ineffective, wasteful wall” she has also called “immoral”. Trump promised a wall on the southern border throughout his presidential campaign. He also promised Mexico would pay for it, which he now says will happen through savings from a new trade deal, a claim fact checkers doubt. He has demanded $5.7bn from Congress. Democrats refuse to give it. Senate Republicans, however, will not pass legislation sent by House Democrats to reopen the government without wall funding, as Trump would not sign it.
Trump promised a wall on the southern border throughout his presidential campaign. He also promised Mexico would pay for it, a vow he now says he will meet through savings from a new trade deal, a claim fact checkers doubt. He has demanded $5.7bn from Congress. Through weeks of fruitless talks and tactical switches, the Democrats have refused to give it.
Senate Republicans, however, will not pass legislation sent by House Democrats to reopen the government without wall funding, as Trump would not sign it.
On Sunday, the Virginia Democratic senator Mark Warner told CNN’s State of the Union: “More border security? Let’s have at it. But while we’re opening the debate, let’s open the government.”On Sunday, the Virginia Democratic senator Mark Warner told CNN’s State of the Union: “More border security? Let’s have at it. But while we’re opening the debate, let’s open the government.”
The Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson, who chairs the Senate homeland security committee, told the same show Warner’s party should “stop being hypocrites and put their money where their mouth is and fund border barriers. They work.” More border security? Let’s have at it. But while we’re opening the debate, let’s open the government
The president returned to Twitter. He first made an unlikely claim, that “many Hispanics will be coming over to the Republican side” because, he said, Democrats did not want to include in talks reform to the status of undocumented migrants brought to the US children. The Dreamers issue was at the heart of a shutdown last year in which Trump’s demands for wall spending capsized a potential deal. The Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson, who chairs the Senate homeland security committee, told the same show Democrats should “stop being hypocrites and put their money where their mouth is and fund border barriers. They work”.
“I’m in the White House, waiting,” Trump added. “The Democrats are everywhere but Washington as people await their pay. They are having fun and not even talking!” On Saturday night, Trump spoke to Fox host Jeannine Pirro by phone. Asked why he had yet to declare a national emergency, to build the wall with funds from military, disaster relief or other budgets, a step Democrats oppose but may be unable to stop, he said he was giving Congress a chance to “act responsibly”. But he also said he had “no idea” whether he will get a deal with House speaker Nancy Pelosi, who opposes funding an “ineffective, wasteful wall” she has also called “immoral”.
In fact Congress was out for the weekend and many legislators left Washington ahead of an incoming snowstorm. On Sunday the president first made an unlikely claim, that “many Hispanics will be coming over to the Republican side” because Democrats do not want to discuss reform to the status of undocumented migrants brought to the US children. The Dreamers issue was at the heart of a shutdown last year in which Trump’s demands for wall spending capsized a potential deal.
In his Fox interview, Trump said “most” Democrats were “watching a certain musical in a very nice location”. An ally of the president, South Carolina Republican senator Lindsey Graham, told Fox News on Sunday he encouraged Trump in a telephone conversation that morning to reopen government for a short period, in which he could to try to negotiate a deal, perhaps involving the Dreamers issue. But Trump, Graham said, wants a deal first.
Host Jeanine Pirro said: “Of course, in Puerto Rico watching Hamilton.”“Frankly,” Trump said, “it’s ridiculous. The whole thing is ridiculous.” Illinois senator Dick Durbin, the No2 Democrat in the Senate, told ABC’s This Week Trump could “open up this government tomorrow”, as “one phone call from [majority leader] Mitch McConnell can get it started.”
Hamilton in Puerto Rico: a joyful homecoming ... but it's complicatedHamilton in Puerto Rico: a joyful homecoming ... but it's complicated
Around 30 congressional Democrats, Pelosi among them, are expected to visit Puerto Rico as its star and creator, Lin Manuel Miranda, opens the show there. “I’m in the White House, waiting,” the president wrote, regardless. “The Democrats are everywhere but Washington as people await their pay. They are having fun and not even talking!”
In fact Congress was out for the weekend and many legislators left Washington ahead of a snowstorm. In his Fox interview, Trump said “most” Democrats were “watching a certain musical in a very nice location”.
Host Jeanine Pirro said: “Of course, in Puerto Rico watching Hamilton.”“Frankly,” Trump said, “it’s ridiculous. The whole thing is ridiculous.”
Around 30 congressional Democrats, Pelosi among them, were expected to visit Puerto Rico as the star and creator of Hamilton, Lin Manuel Miranda, opens the show there.
The trip has a political dimension: highlighting recovery work after Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island in 2017 and to which Trump’s response is a continuing source of controversy. Miranda’s father Luis Miranda, a Democratic consultant, told CBS News the politicians would “get to experience first hand the needs of the island, so that they go back and sort of fight Trump and the Republicans.”The trip has a political dimension: highlighting recovery work after Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island in 2017 and to which Trump’s response is a continuing source of controversy. Miranda’s father Luis Miranda, a Democratic consultant, told CBS News the politicians would “get to experience first hand the needs of the island, so that they go back and sort of fight Trump and the Republicans.”
He also told the Guardian: “I hate Trump and anything I could do to defeat Republicans, even now my friends who are Republicans, I would do because they have allowed the party to be hijacked by this orange nut.” Regarding the declaration of a national emergency, officials have explored diverting money from accounts including $13.9bn given to the Army Corps of Engineers after last year’s hurricanes and floods. That appeared to lose steam following an outcry. Other possibilities included asset forfeiture funds, money seized from criminals.
Around the US, about 800,000 federal workers are without pay and key government departments and services are underfunded and threatened. Trump fails to answer yes or no when asked if he ever worked for Russia
Regarding the declaration of a national emergency, administration officials explored diverting money from accounts including $13.9bn given to the Army Corps of Engineers after last year’s hurricanes and floods. That appeared to lose steam following an outcry. Other possibilities included asset forfeiture funds, money seized from criminals. Some outside advisers to Trump say a national emergency would allow him to claim he was the one to act to reopen the government, while legal challenges would send the matter to court, allowing the president to continue to excite his supporters while not actually closing the government or starting wall construction.
Trump vents fury over Russia stories and again threatens national emergency Some Republicans believe such a declaration would usurp congressional power. Johnson told CNN he would “hate to see” an emergency declaration, “because if we do it we would go to court and we would not be building a wall”.
Senior adviser Jared Kushner was among those opposed to the declaration, arguing that pursuing a broader immigration deal was a better option. But some outside advisers to the president say a national emergency would allow Trump to claim he was the one to act to reopen the government. Also, legal challenges would send the matter to court, allowing Trump to continue to excite his supporters while not actually closing the government or starting construction. Senators, naturally, saw their chamber as key to ending the impasse. Durbin told ABC he thought the shutdown would end “when the Senate Republicans say ‘We’ve had enough. We’re not going to stand here and be blamed for this.’”
Some Republicans, however, believe such a declaration would usurp congressional power and could lead future presidents to make similar moves to advance liberal priorities. Pelosi has argued that Trump is merely trying to steer attention away from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and other White House problems.
Johnson told CNN he would “hate to see” an emergency declaration, “because if we do it we would go to court and we would not be building a wall”.
Pelosi has argued that Trump is merely trying to steer attention away from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into links between the president and Russia, and other White House problems.
“This is a big diversion, and he’s a master of diversion,” she told reporters.“This is a big diversion, and he’s a master of diversion,” she told reporters.
Trump’s volcanic reaction to a report about Trump and Russia in the New York Times suggested he might be losing that mastery. Trump’s volcanic reaction to reports this weekend in the New York Times and Washington Post suggested he might be losing that mastery.
Donald TrumpDonald Trump
Trump administrationTrump administration
US politicsUS politics
MexicoMexico
US immigrationUS immigration
AmericasAmericas
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content