Trump claims pollsters said shutdown was a “big factor” in last night’s Democratic victories
Speaking to a breakfast for Republican senators, Mr. Trump claims pollsters said the government shutdown was a “big factor” in last night’s Democratic victories.
“I thought we’d have a discussion after the press leaves about what last night represented and what we should do about it,” the president said. “And also about the shutdown and how that relates to last night. I think if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans, and that was a big factor. And they say that I wasn’t on the ballot was the biggest factor. But I don’t know about that but I was honored that they said that.”
The president said “countless public servants” are not being paid and air traffic controllers “under increasing strain.”
“We must get the government back open soon and really immediately,” he said, adding that the shutdown is starting to affect the stock market.
The president called Tuesday night’s election results “interesting” and “we learned a lot.”
“Last night, it was, you know, not expected to be a victory,” he said. “It was very Democrat areas. But I don’t think it was good for Republicans. I’m not sure it was good for anybody. But we had an interesting evening and we learned a lot.”
Trump again calls for Senate to end the filibuster
President Trump late Tuesday called again for the Senate to do away with the filibuster, the 60-vote threshold needed to advance most legislation, as he is set to meet with Senate Republicans Wednesday morning.
“REPUBLICANS, TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER! GET BACK TO PASSING LEGISLATION AND VOTER REFORM!” the president said in a post on Truth Social.
In another post as the results of Tuesday’s election rolled in overnight, the president continued his urging, saying, “Pass Voter Reform, Voter ID, No Mail-In Ballots. Save our Supreme Court from ‘Packing,’ No Two State addition, etc. TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER!!!”
The comments come after he urged Republicans late last week to take “the Nuclear Option” to reopen the government without Democratic votes, and some on the party’s right flank have likewise urged Senate Republicans to change the upper chamber’s rules to end the shutdown. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune favors preserving the filibuster, and when asked about the president’s repeated calls to end it earlier this week, he told reporters that he’s spoken with the president, and “I think we all know his view.”
The president responded to Thune’s position in an interview that aired on “60 Minutes” on Sunday, saying “I like John Thune. I think he’s terrific, but I disagree with him on this point.”
“The Republicans have to get tougher,” the president said. “If we end the filibuster, we can do exactly what we want.
Senate Republicans to attend breakfast at the White House
Senate Republicans are heading to the White House this morning for an 8:30 a.m. breakfast meeting with President Trump as the shutdown drags on.
Republican senators last met with the president at the White House on Oct. 21, when they joined him for lunch. The president was out of the country the following week, and some lawmakers say his return to Washington and renewed involvement in the shutdown fight increases the likelihood of a resolution, since the White House would likely be involved in any talks to reach an agreement.
Government shutdown now the longest in U.S. history
The shutdown became the longest in U.S. history on Tuesday night, eclipsing the record previously held by the shutdown of late 2018 and early 2019.
That funding lapse ended on the evening of the 35th day, when President Trump signed a bill to extend government funding for three weeks. The White House announced the bill had been signed at 9:23 p.m. on Jan. 25, 2019.
The current shutdown began during daylight saving time and has lasted through the change to standard time, meaning it passed the comparable length of time one hour earlier, or 8:23 p.m. on Tuesday.
Shutdowns are a relatively recent phenomenon, having only begun in their current form in 1980, when the attorney general issued a series of legal opinions saying it was illegal for government agencies to continue spending without authorization from Congress. There have been 15 shutdowns since then, including the current impasse.
