Trump Demands Government Shutdown as McCarthy Tries to Avoid One

(Left) Former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) ; (Right) Former president Donald Trump. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump blasted Republicans in a post on Truth Social as members of Congress scramble to negotiate a budget to keep the government in operation, calling on them to “shut it down.”

“The Republicans lost big on Debt Ceiling, got NOTHING, and now are worried that they will be BLAMED for the Budget Shutdown. Wrong!!! Whoever is President will be blamed, in this case, Crooked (as Hell!) Joe Biden!” he wrote, referring to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) repeated imploring of House Republicans to avert a shutdown.

While President Trump did not mention Mr. McCarthy by name, he referenced Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who he said has “already given the Democrats everything” in negotiations, such as agreeing to raise the debt ceiling.

Mr. McConnell has been facing public scrutiny after two health episodes during press conferences, where he froze and was unable to speak for half a minute. A medical doctor cleared him as fit for duty, but recent polls have shown that Americans say many politicians are too old. Mr. McConnell is 81, just a year older than President Joe Biden.

“We need new, & real Republican leadership in the United States Senate, not a clone of Mitch, & we need it now!!!” President Trump wrote.

However, the 45th president’s comments could certainly hurt Mr. McCarthy’s efforts to get House Republicans to take the possibility of a shutdown off the table.

“I’ve never seen anybody win a shutdown,” Mr. McCarthy told reporters after the House put forth a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government for another 31 days while negotiations continue. Mr. McCarthy has said that letting federal workers go unpaid only plays into the hands of the Biden administration, urging consensus on the budget.

Contentious issues like illegal immigration, securing the southern border, and funding for Ukraine are still on the table.

The short-term continuing resolution put through the House Rules Committee recently failed, and Democrats have already been pinning the blame of a potential shutdown on Republicans.

President Trump pushed for more aggressive negotiations on social media.

“Our Country is being systematically destroyed by the Radical Left Marxists, Fascists and Thugs - THE DEMOCRATS. UNLESS YOU GET EVERYTHING, SHUT IT DOWN! Close the Border, stop the Weaponization of ‘Justice,’ and End Election Interference - WE MUST HAVE HONEST ELECTIONS. It’s time Republicans learned how to fight!” he wrote, referencing the multiple indictments against him.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is now prosecuting two cases against him: one in Washington for his challenge of the 2020 elections, and one in Florida for allegedly mishandling classified documents after leaving office.

President Trump has previously called on Republicans to “defund” the DOJ, which he claims is prosecuting him at the behest of his political opponent and incumbent President Joe Biden.

In another post, he wrote, “A very important deadline is approaching at the end of the month. Republicans in Congress can and must defund all aspects of Crooked Joe Biden’s weaponized Government that refuses to close the Border, and treats half the Country as Enemies of the State.”

“This is also the last chance to defund these political prosecutions against me and other Patriots,” he wrote. President Trump’s Washington indictment stems from special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and the DOJ has already brought charges against 1,100 people who were present at the U.S. Capitol that day.

According to its latest funding statement, the special counsel’s office would continue to be funded by “permanent, indefinite appropriation” even in the event of a government shutdown.

In addition to the DOJ cases, President Trump faces charges against him in  a Georgia racketeering case for challenging the 2020 election results, and a case against him in New York for allegedly mishandling business finances.

He also faces several civil petitions against him, including a case New York Attorney General Letitia James brought against him for allegedly inflating his net worth and defrauding insurance companies and banks through the Trump Organization company.

In other social media posts on Monday, he said he was “unfairly sued” by Ms. James over false allegations.

“It is a great company that has been slandered and maligned by this politically motivated Witch Hunt,” he wrote. “It is very unfair, and I call for help from the highest Courts in New York State, or the Federal System, to intercede. This is not America!”