Former President Donald Trump has called on right-wing Republicans in Congress to shut down the government if they don’t get everything they want in upcoming negotiations. With a deadline approaching, Trump has urged his followers to reject any compromises with moderate lawmakers who are working towards passing a spending bill to avoid a shutdown.
In a post on his social media site, Trump stated, Unless you get everything, shut it down! It’s time Republicans learned how to fight! He suggested that Democrats should close the border with Mexico and halt investigations into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election as part of any agreement to keep the government open.
Trump predicted that if Republicans fail to pass a stopgap spending bill, the public would blame President Joe Biden. However, historically, voters have tended to hold the Republican-led House responsible for government shutdowns when they are used as leverage to push for unrelated priorities, such as unpopular cuts to domestic spending.
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a prominent far-right lawmaker, shared Trump’s message, claiming that it was evidence that the former president was supporting him instead of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Gaetz urged his colleagues to break the fever and stand firm against compromise.
Some conservative Republicans believe that a government shutdown could eventually lead to the House enacting significant spending cuts and pursuing other MAGA priorities, such as intensifying efforts to impeach Biden and increasing military presence at the southern border with Mexico.
Adding to the disarray within the Republican ranks, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a sometimes ally of McCarthy, publicly opposed providing additional military aid to Ukraine. Greene broke with McCarthy over his support for aid to the embattled nation, which is currently facing a Russian invasion.
Last week, Republicans failed to advance a short-term funding bill to keep the government running. McCarthy is now working to pass individual spending bills for defense and foreign operations in the hopes of setting the stage for another attempt at a stopgap spending bill.
Meanwhile, the Democrat-controlled Senate may pass its own spending package, which could force McCarthy to bring it to the floor. It is anticipated that enough moderate Republicans may join with Democrats to pass the bill.
As negotiations continue and the possibility of a government shutdown looms, the outcome remains uncertain. Both sides are digging in their heels, and the future of government funding hangs in the balance.
