During a meeting with Republican senators at the White House, Trump said, “I think if you read the polls, you’ll see that the government shutdown was a significant negative factor for Republicans.” He continued, “The government shutdown is now officially the longest one in America’s history.”
Trump’s remarks came after Democrats won the governorships of Virginia and New Jersey, as well as the mayoralty of New York City, along with other gains for the Democratic Party at the expense of Trump-backed candidates.
In this context, the American president announced that food assistance for millions of Americans “will only be granted after the government shutdown ends,” accusing “hard-left Democrats” of prolonging the crisis.
Trump’s threat comes a day after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would use emergency funding to provide limited benefits in November, following a court decision that halted its plan to suspend payments during the shutdown.
The Republican and Democratic blocs in Congress are exchanging accusations over the ongoing crisis, amid concerns about its impact on approximately 42 million Americans who rely on the federal food assistance program.
