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President Donald Trump on Monday blamed Democrats for the partial government shutdown, as Republicans and Democrats have yet to reach an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security, while also touting what he sees as victories for his administration on issues such as the economy and crime.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump boasted about “major economic figures” such as inflation and lower fuel prices.
“Big financial numbers, you see inflation, very low inflation. Very low prices. Very low prices. Gasoline is below $2 a gallon in many places, which nobody expected to see,” Trump said, even though the national gas average is close to $3 and state averages in the cheapest gas areas are still above $2.
DHS SHUTDOWN CONTINUES AS JOHNSON RESIGNS IN GOP DIVISION OVER STOPPAP SOLUTIONS
President Donald Trump speaks to the media on Air Force One while flying to Washington, DC (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
“But I did this with the first drill, baby, drill. Prices are going down a lot. And as gasoline and oil and gas are going, so are other high-end products…
When asked about the slow closing of DHS funding, Trump said that it was a “Democratic shutdown” that had “nothing to do with the Republicans,” accusing Democrats of being upset by the falling crime numbers, which he took credit for, as data showed homicides and other violent crimes had been declining in major cities before he returned to the White House.
“This is the closure of the Democrat. This has nothing to do with the Republicans, and the Democrats are closed. They are upset that the crime numbers are so good. They are not very happy that there is a movement,” he said.
Republicans and Democrats have not reached an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security to end the partial government shutdown. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Democrats have called for stricter surveillance and reforms of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the shooting that killed two US citizens last month by federal agents in Minneapolis.
“They don’t want voter ID because they want to cheat at the polls,” the president said, referring to the House-passed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) law that would impose stricter requirements in federal elections for voters to prove citizenship with a photo ID and other documents such as a passport or birth certificate, a move Democrats have rejected that includes long-term funding bills.
“They don’t want Mail-In votes. They want to end mail-in votes, and one more thing [Republicans] what they insist on is proof of citizenship. And Democrats don’t want to provide proof of citizenship. They don’t want to give voter ID,” he added.
TEMPORARY CLOSURE PLAYS AS DHS COMMUNICATIONS CALL
President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for the partial government shutdown. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Still, Trump said he was willing to meet with Democrats to discuss a plan to end the shutdown, but stressed that “we have to protect law enforcement” and that immigration officials “have done a great job” in removing “criminals brought in.”
The president also said that he will deliver his State of the Union speech scheduled for next week if it is still closed.
