Trump's one-year anniversary marked by shutdown instead of celebration
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A government shutdown could have an impact on everything from your passport application to those beloved Panda cams.
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Not a great way to spend an anniversary.
President Trump marked his first year in office Saturday by trying to ride out a government shutdown, as he, Republican allies, and Democrats argued over who to blame for the impasse.
“This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown,” Trump said during a pre-dawn tweet storm.
While Democrats pointed out that the Republicans control the presidency and Congress, Trump noted that Senate Democrats used the filibuster rule to block passage of a short-term spending bill that would have kept the government open.
More: The federal government has shut down. What’s open, what’s closed, what’s different.
In another tweet, Trump said that “the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60” to break a filibuster.
Citing upcoming elections in November, Trump said, “that is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election!”
For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military Veterans!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018
Four Senate Republicans also voted against the temporary spending bill.
The shutdown does not affect current military operations, and other services deemed essential.
More: The government shuts down after Senate blocks short-term spending bill
More: Polls suggest Trump and GOP could bear the shutdown blame
Democratic lawmakers pointed out that this is the first government shutdown to take place at a time when one party controls the White House and both chambers of Congress.
“On the eve of the first anniversary of his inauguration, President Trump earned an ‘F’ for failure in leadership,” House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said before the midnight deadline.
Trump had planned to spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., including a special campaign fundraising dinner to commemorate his 12 months in the Oval Office.
With the House and Senate scheduled to reconvene Saturday morning, the president and his aides figure to work the phones looking to end the shutdown.
Trump critics plan to observe the anniversary in different ways, including a women’s march designed to mirror the one that took place the day after Trump’s swearing-in.
The past twelve months have been marked by chaos and controversy, from Trump’s failed efforts to repeal and replace President Obama’s health care law to allegations that he and his family are seeking to profit financially off of the presidency.
From an argument over the crowd size at his inaugural to an unfounded claim that Obama had Trump Tower wiretapped, any number of Trump tweets have generated controversy on their own.
The administration has had to contend with a special counsel investigation into any links between the Trump campaign team and Russians who sought to interfere in the 2016 election. A new best-selling book claims that people close to the president question his mental and emotional stability.
Trump, meanwhile, has touted the performance of the economy over the past 12 months, including the passage of major tax cuts, the elimination of a raft of regulations, and an ever-rising stock market. He has claimed military success against the Islamic State in the Middle East, and trade reforms that will put American workers on a level playing field with foreign competitors.
During his Saturday tweet storm, Trump revived a 2016 campaign slogan: “America First!”
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