While almost everyone knows that Donald Trump shut down the federal government over his demand for a border wall that Mexico was supposed to pay for, his Fox News buddy Harris Faulkner thoughtfully described it as a shutdown over the more important-sounding “national border security.”
Faulkner sneaked in her spin during a discussion with Republican Senator Richard Shelby, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, earlier today shortly before Trump announced he’d re-open the government for three weeks without funding for the supposedly necessary border wall.
Shelby made it clear he didn’t love the shutdown in the first place. “I tried for a year to avoid where we are today and I’m gonna continue to do this on the Appropriations Committee,” he said pointedly.
“How do we keep this from happening again?” Faulkner asked. “Whether it’s the Democrats and Chuck Schumer last year with DACA and closing down the government for a shorter period of time and then now President Trump saying that he would take responsibility for closing down the government over national border security.”
Well, I’m glad Faulkner recognized that Trump caused the shutdown, even if she “forgot” he had promised Mexico would pay for the wall. But the fact is, Trump insisted on a wall, not merely “border security.” In fact, he demanded it as recently as yesterday:
Nancy just said she “just doesn’t understand why?” Very simply, without a Wall it all doesn’t work. Our Country has a chance to greatly reduce Crime, Human Trafficking, Gangs and Drugs. Should have been done for decades. We will not Cave!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2019
Without a Wall there cannot be safety and security at the Border or for the U.S.A. BUILD THE WALL AND CRIME WILL FALL!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2019
Democrats had already offered “border security” on Wednesday and even during the now-famous fiery meeting in which Trump said he’d be “proud” to shut down the government for a wall.
Now, Trump has backed down. But I’m sure Faulkner and his other Fox Friends will help him spin it as a win somehow.
By the way, Shelby didn’t sound like he thought a border wall was a necessity, either. For the record, he said the way to keep a shutdown from happening again was to “work together” and “negotiate in good faith.”
Watch it below, from the January 25, 2019 Outnumbered Overtime.