In Early Morning Tweets, Trump Claims Dems Will Own The Shutdown

With the deadline for a government shutdown fast approaching, President Donald Trump on Friday morning tried his best to blame Democrats for the fallout should a spending deal not be reached by midnight tonight.

The president has made funding for a border wall a sticking point for any bill he would sign to keep the government running, according to reporting from CNBC. The president is requesting $5 billion in order to facilitate new construction across the U.S. southern border.

Trump tweeted to his followers that the blame should rest solely on Democrats, specifically in the Senate, if a 60-vote threshold can’t be reached to broker a deal. Trump, in his message, urged Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to do all that he could to make sure a bill in the House of Representatives — which included funding for a border wall — passes.

“Senator Mitch McConnell should fight for the Wall and Border Security as hard as he fought for anything,” Trump wrote in his tweet. “He will need Democrat votes, but as shown in the House, good things happen. If enough Dems don’t vote, it will be a Democrat [sic] Shutdown!”

Trump added in his tweet his appreciation for GOP lawmakers in the opposite chamber. “House Republicans were great yesterday!” he said.

THE MEMO: Trump reaches to shore up base on border wall https://t.co/6jPwitdHr3 pic.twitter.com/BykPFiLV5W

— The Hill (@thehill) December 21, 2018

The assertion that Democrats would own the shutdown, however, goes against what polling has said about the issue.

A Politico/Morning Consult poll released earlier this week found that 55 percent of Americans didn’t think the fight over the border wall was worth shutting down the government. Less than a third, 31 percent, felt it was appropriate.

On who would shoulder the blame if a shutdown does happen after midnight on Friday, the same number, 31 percent, said Democrats would be at fault. Meanwhile, 41 percent of Americans said they would blame Trump for the shutdown occurring, while 10 percent would blame Republicans. Eighteen percent said they didn’t have an opinion on who would be to blame.

The poll also demonstrated that voters had a very low opinion of the president at the end of his second year in office. Just 41 percent said they approved of Trump’s job performance, while 55 percent said that they disapproved of how he was handling his duties.

Of course, things could change between now and when the funding deadline comes due, if it indeed happens. Americans could change their opinion on who is to blame, especially if the shutdown drags on for more than a few days.