On Monday, President Donald Trump attributed the ongoing partial government shutdown to the Democratic Party, as lawmakers from both sides remain deadlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, he highlighted what he described as successful outcomes for his administration in areas like the economy and crime reduction.
During conversations with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump highlighted the nation’s economic performance, pointing to factors such as low inflation rates and decreasing fuel costs.
“We’ve got excellent economic indicators,” Trump remarked, emphasizing the low levels of inflation. “Prices are dropping significantly. Gas prices are below $2 a gallon in many regions, which was unexpected,” he said, though the national average is closer to $3, with even the lowest state averages exceeding $2.
He continued, “This is the result of our energy policies, like ‘drill, baby, drill.’ As gas prices fall, so do prices for other goods. We inherited a difficult situation, and we’ve revitalized our country.”
Addressing the partial shutdown related to DHS funding, Trump labeled it a “Democrat shutdown,” distancing Republicans from the issue. He accused Democrats of being discontent with decreasing crime rates, which he claimed credit for, despite statistics indicating that violent crime rates in major cities were declining prior to his presidency.
“This is a shutdown orchestrated by the Democrats,” Trump asserted. “It has no connection to Republicans. Democrats are frustrated by the improved crime statistics. They’re unhappy about the progress being made,” he added.
Democrats have demanded stricter oversight and reforms of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the fatal shootings last month of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis.
“They don’t want voter ID because they want to cheat in elections,” the president added, referring to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act passed by the House that would impose stricter requirements in federal elections for voters to prove citizenship through photo ID and other documentation such as a passport or birth certificate, a measure Democrats have resisted including in long-term funding bills.
“They don’t want Mail-In ballots. They want to end mail-in ballots, and one other thing that [Republicans] are insisting on is proof of citizenship. And the Democrats don’t want to give proof of citizenship. They don’t want to give voter ID,” he added.
Still, Trump said he is willing to meet with Democrats to discuss a plan to end the shutdown, but stressed that “we have to protect our law enforcement” and that immigration officers have “done a great job” in removing “criminals that were brought in.”
The president also said he would still give his State of the Union speech scheduled for next week if there is still a shutdown.
