Wednesday on CNN’s “News Central,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) claimed President Donald Trump is refusing to engage with Democratic leadership to end the government shutdown.
Host John Berman asked, “What do you think of the president’s assessment? We’ll get to what he wants to do about it in a second but the idea that the shutdown was partially to blame for Republican losses across the country.”
Kaine said, “I think Donald Trump’s shutdown was a factor. And in Virginia we’ve seen it more than virtually anybody. And for many Virginians, the shutdown started the day Donald Trump was inaugurated. Mass waves of firings, cancellation of economic development projects, clawbacks of public health monies the DOGE cuts led into this shutdown. President Trump has not done what every president does to avoid shutdowns or get out of them meaningfully engage with the full congressional leadership to find a path forward.”
He added, “He’s only held one meeting with Democrats where it was an unserious meeting. He posted videos of them wearing fake sombreros and speaking in AI generated fake voices. And he’s willing to meet with anyone. He meets with the Argentine president and gives him $20 of American tax dollars. He’s having a meeting at the White House now to cry crocodile tears over last night but he won’t meet with Democrats. That’s what has to happen. We got to reopen government. If the president will engage like other presidents do, we’ll have this thing solved in a matter of hours.”
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