Jan 18, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Trump: Democrats would "like to see a shutdown"

Photo: Mark Wilson / Getty Images

President Trump told the press pool on Thursday that the GOP tax cuts "have not been working well for the Democrats," and they'd "like to see a shutdown in order to get off that subject," according to pool reports.

Why it matters: Congress must pass a continuing resolution (CR) by tomorrow to avoid a government shutdown. To do that, GOP leadership has to satisfy Senate Democrats and the House Freedom Caucus, which Axios' Alexi McCammond and Zachary Basu say seems unlikely, at this point.

More from a gaggle with Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah, per pool reports:

  • The White House is "happy to see that China has significantly cut trade" with North Korea.
  • Trump is expected to talk to Republicans and Democrats about the CR, and will "convey...that a shutdown would not be great for the military."
  • Trump and Chief of Staff John Kelly "have a great relationship," and Trump's frustration is with "the media coverage about [Kelly's Fox News interview] and taking the Chief's comments out of context."

One more thing: Trump told the pool that Kelly didn't tell lawmakers on Wednesday that he promised voters a southern border wall while not being "fully informed."

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