President Donald Trump said he wouldn’t support a shutdown deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security until Democrats agree to pass Republicans’ proof-of-citizenship and voter ID bill.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday evening, Trump said he would not make a deal with Democrats to end the five-week funding lapse if they didn’t vote to pass the SAVE America Act, Utah Sen. Mike Lee’s sweeping election reform bill that is currently stalled in the upper chamber.
The post comes after weeks of negotiations and just days before the shutdown could become the longest closure of a federal department in history.
“It is far more important than anything else we are doing in the Senate, and that includes giving these same terrible people, the Dems (who are to blame for this mess!), a Five Billion Dollar cut in ICE funding, a deal which, even when disguised as something else, is unacceptable to me and the American people,” Trump wrote.
Instead, Trump said Senate Republicans should combine DHS funding with the SAVE America Act and attach provisions restricting transgender surgeries for children and banning biological men from participating in women’s sports. Trump also included demands for no mail-in voting and using only paper ballots in federal elections — proposals that are not included in the underlying bill but could be added as amendments.
“Put it all together, and also, let Leader Thune clearly identify those few ‘Republicans’ that are Voting against AMERICA,” Trump wrote. “They will never be elected again! In other words, lump everything together as one, and VOTE!!! Kill the Filibuster, and stay in D.C. for Easter, if necessary.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., pushed back against the idea of pairing the two, calling it an unrealistic option.
“It’s something that I think there is almost unanimous agreement among Republicans on the policy,” Thune said on Monday. “But the idea that we have to guarantee its passage in order to fund the government, I think you all know that’s not realistic.”
The post contrasts with Trump’s position on Saturday afternoon when he posted in a lengthy Truth Social post that Democrats must “immediately” sign a deal to reopen DHS or else he would deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to help with airport security amid staffing shortages and delays.
Those agents were sent to 13 airports across the country on Monday, and Trump said he would consider sending National Guard officers if needed.
Negotiations between White House officials and Senate Democrats have ramped up in recent days, with the administration transmitting a written legislative offer on Friday evening. Talks have since slowed, especially after White House officials declined a meeting with Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, on Monday, a source familiar with the discussions told the Deseret News.
Talks could restart this week after Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin is confirmed as the DHS secretary, which is expected to happen late Monday evening.
Meanwhile, Trump doubled down on his latest stance, telling reporters on Monday morning that Republicans should “only settle if you get the SAVE America Act.”