WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President says he 鈥渨on’t be extorted鈥� by Democrats to , making clear that he has no plans to negotiate as the government shutdown will soon enter its sixth week.
In an interview on CBS’s 鈥�60 Minutes” that aired on Sunday, Trump said that Democrats who are demanding an extension in health care subsidies 鈥渉ave lost their way” and predicted that they will eventually capitulate to Republicans who have said they won’t negotiate until they vote to reopen the government.
鈥淚 think they have to,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淎nd if they don’t vote, it’s their problem.鈥�
Trump’s comments signal that the shutdown could continue to drag on for some time as federal workers, including air traffic controllers, are set to miss additional paychecks and as there is uncertainty over whether 42 million Americans who received federal food aid . Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times against reopening the government, insisting that they need Trump and Republicans to negotiate with them first on an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.
Instead of negotiating, the president reiterated his pleas to Republican leaders to . But Senate Republicans have rejected that idea, arguing that the in the Senate is vital to the institution and has allowed them to stop Democratic policies when they are in the minority.
鈥淩epublicans have to get tougher,鈥� Trump said in the CBS interview. 鈥淚f we end the filibuster, we can do exactly what we want.鈥�
With the two parties at a standstill, the shutdown, now in its 33rd day, appears likely to become the longest in history. The previous record was set in 2019, when Trump demanded that Congress give him money for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
A potentially decisive week
Trump鈥檚 push on the filibuster could prove a distraction for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republican senators who have opted instead to stay the course as the consequences of the shutdown have become more acute.
Republicans are hoping that at least some Democrats will eventually give them the votes they need as moderates have been in weekslong talks with rank-and-file Republicans about potential compromises that could guarantee votes on health care in exchange for reopening the government. Republicans need five additional Democrats to pass their bill.
鈥淲e need five with a backbone to say we care more about the lives of the American people than about gaining some political leverage,鈥� Thune said on the Senate floor as the Senate left Washington for the weekend on Thursday.
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, said on ABC鈥檚 鈥淭his Week鈥� on Sunday that there is a group of people talking about 鈥漚 path to fix the health care debacle鈥� and a commitment from Republicans not to fire more federal workers. But it鈥檚 still unclear if those talks could produce a meaningful compromise.
Far apart on Obamacare subsidies
Trump said in the 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� interview that the Affordable Care Act, often known as Obamacare because it was signed and championed by former President Barack Obama, is “terrible” and that if the Democrats vote to reopen the government, 鈥渨e will work on fixing the bad health care that we have right now.鈥�
Democrats feel differently, arguing that the marketplaces set up by the ACA are working as record numbers of Americans have signed up for the coverage. But they want to extend subsidies first enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic so that premiums won’t go up for millions of people on Jan. 1.
鈥淲e want to sit down with Thune, with (House Speaker Mike) Johnson, with Trump, and negotiate a way to address this horrible health care crisis,鈥� Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said last week.
No appetite for bipartisanship
As Democrats have pushed Trump and Republicans to negotiate, Trump has showed . He immediately called for an end to the Senate filibuster after a while the government was shut down.
White House Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on 鈥淪unday Morning Futures鈥� on Fox 海角社区app that the president has spoken directly to both Thune and Johnson about the filibuster. But a spokesman for Thune said Friday that his position hasn鈥檛 changed, and Johnson said on Sunday that Republicans traditionally have resisted calling for an end to the filibuster because it protects them from 鈥渢he worst impulses of the far-left Democrat Party.鈥�
Trump said on 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� that 鈥淚 like John Thune, I think he’s terrific. But I disagree with him on this point.鈥�
The president has spent much of the shutdown mocking Democrats, posting videos of House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in a . The White House website has a satirical 鈥淢y Space鈥� page for Democrats, a parody based on the social media site that was popular in the early 2000s. 鈥淲e just love playing politics with people鈥檚 livelihoods,鈥� the page reads.
Democrats have repeatedly said that they need Trump to get serious and weigh in. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said that he hopes the shutdown could end 鈥渢his week鈥� because Trump is back in Washington.
Republicans 鈥渃an鈥檛 move on anything without a Trump sign off,鈥� Warner said on 鈥淔ace the Nation鈥� on CBS.
Record-breaking shutdown
The that lasted from December 2018 to January 2019 ended when Trump retreated from his demands over a border wall. That came amid intensifying delays at the nation鈥檚 airports and multiple missed paydays for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on ABC’s 鈥淭his Week鈥� that there have already been delays at several airports as air traffic controllers aren鈥檛 getting paid 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 only going to get worse.鈥�
Many of the workers are 鈥渃onfronted with a decision,鈥� he said. 鈥淒o I put food on my kids鈥� table, do I put gas in the car, do I pay my rent or do I go to work and not get paid?”
As , New York City’s emergency management department posted on Sunday that Newark Airport was under a ground delay because of 鈥渟taffing shortages in the control tower” and that they were limiting arrivals to the airport.
鈥淭he average delay is about 2 hours, and some flights are more than 3 hours late,鈥� the account posted. 鈥淔AA planning notes show a possibility of a full ground stop later if staffing shortages or demand increases.鈥�
SNAP crisis
Also in the crossfire are the 42 million Americans who receive SNAP benefits. The Department of Agriculture to the food program starting on Saturday until the administration to fund it.
House Democratic leader Jeffries, D-N.Y., accused Trump and Republicans of attempting to 鈥渨eaponize hunger.鈥� He said that the administration has managed to find ways for funding other priorities during the shutdown, but is slow-walking pushing out SNAP benefits despite the court orders.
鈥淏ut somehow they can鈥檛 find money to make sure that Americans don鈥檛 go hungry,鈥� Jeffries said in an appearance on CNN’s 鈥淪tate of the Union.鈥�
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in his own CNN appearance Sunday, said the administration continues to await direction from the courts.
鈥淭he best way for SNAP benefits to get paid is for Democrats 鈥� for five Democrats to cross the aisle and reopen the government,鈥� Bessent said.
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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
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