Trump takes credit for 'great financial numbers' — blames Democrats for partial government shutdown
President Donald Trump called the partial shutdown a "Democrat shutdown" on Monday, blaming them for failing to reach an agreement on the Department of Homeland Security funding. At the same time, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, the president touted the "great financial numbers" under his administration, citing what he believes are major wins, including the falling murder rate, fuel prices, and inflation in the country. Currently, the negotiations for the DHS funding have come to a standstill, with reports expecting the issue to drag on.
The partial government shutdown started on Saturday after the president's team and the congressional Democrats failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the department through September. Among the top demands of the Democrats is changes to the conduct of immigration operations following the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis last month, as per AP News.
When asked about the shutdown, Trump told reporters that it was a "Democrat Shutdown" and had "nothing to do with Republicans," the New York Post reported. The president counted his wins before accusing the opposing party of being upset with the success of his administration.
“Great financial numbers, you saw low inflation, very low inflation. Prices are down. Way down. Gasoline is less than $2 a gallon in many places, which nobody expected to see,” Trump said. He then went on to add, “This is a Democrat shutdown. This has nothing to do with Republicans, and Democrats shut down. They’re upset that the crime numbers are so good. They’re very unhappy that there’s a movement,” seemingly taking credit for the failing murder and other violent crime rates, which were already declining before he took office.
Bragging about the gas prices, the president claimed, "Prices are coming down very strongly, and as goes gasoline and oil and gas, so goes the rest of the other products that are high … We inherited a mess, and we’ve brought our country back." He then continued to attack Democrats, claiming they "don't want voter ID because they want to cheat in the election".
Trump also mentioned that with the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act passed by the House, stricter requirements will be imposed for voters in the federal elections to prove citizenship through photo ID and other documentation, like a passport or birth certificate. This move has also been opposed by the Democrats. “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,” Trump exclaimed.
Despite the differences, the president said he was willing to meet with the Democrats and discuss ways to end the partial government shutdown. However, he again stressed that “we have to protect our law enforcement” and that immigration officers have “done a great job” in identifying and removing “criminals that were brought in.”
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