Schumer says Trump threatened to continue the shutdown for 'years'

Trump / Schumer
(Image credit: Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

As some fear the partial government shutdown could stretch on through much of January, President Trump is issuing a far more dire projection.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters Friday that in a meeting with Democrats, Trump said he's willing to leave the government in shutdown mode for "months or even years," The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey reports. This would conceivably leave nearly 800,000 federal workers without pay going into the 2020 election cycle — including, as CBS News' Kathryn Watson points out, members of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lawmakers have clashed over funding for border security, leading to the shutdown.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.