When a reporter asked Trump on Thursday evening whether or not he would be drawing back in Minneapolis, he responded: “Well, we want to keep our country safe. We’ll do whatever we can to keep our country safe.”
“So, not pulling back?” the reporter asked.
“No, no, not at all,” the president said.
This stands in stark contrast to what his administration has said this week.
After federal agents killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday, Senate Democrats had threatened a government shutdown over the inclusion of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding and, within it, a historic increase to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) budget.
Seemingly in response, the Trump administration scrambled to claw back some of its messaging.
The White House reneged on top officials’ comments calling Pretti an “assassin” and “terrorist,” and the administration booted Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino from his position overseeing the raid in Minneapolis. The new chief of Operation Metro Surge, “border czar” Tom Homan, assured the media that the operation was going to “draw down.” Trump himself said on Tuesday that “we’re going to deescalate a little bit” in Minneapolis.
And, for good measure, Trump administration insiders leaked some stories to the media about turmoil within Trump’s cabinet about immigration policy.
Just hours after Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) announced that they had reached a deal to avert a shutdown, however, Trump changed his tune. That deal, which would give DHS two weeks of funding to operate while negotiations are ongoing, was announced Thursday afternoon.
Trump’s comments lend credence to critics who said that the administration was only posturing about deescalating while never planning to do so.
The Senate still hasn’t passed the funding package due to some Republican holdouts. However, other Republicans have framed the negotiations as a win — and critics have slammed the deal as one that disproportionately benefits Trump.
The threat of a government shutdown was a major leverage point for Democrats. It would begin this weekend, just a week after federal agents’ killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, giving Democrats power over Republicans to extract concessions on the Trump administration’s ICE operation.
Trump was desperate to avoid it — especially after his party shouldered much of the blame for the historically long shutdown last year. In a post on Truth Social on Thursday evening, he lauded the package.
Meanwhile, critics have slammed Schumer for the deal, which only buys Republicans time to distance themselves from the Pretti killing and continue the administration’s raids in Minneapolis and other cities unhindered.
“Leader Schumer should ask the Minnesotans who are watching their neighbors get killed in cold blood if a deal with no plan to stop ICE is enough right now,” said MoveOn Civic Action.
Sorry, did THE PARLIAMENTARIAN approve this copy paste?
lmfao
When presented with easily verifiable facts your response is to accuse the opponent of being some kind of plant or paid troll?
Nice counter-argument, you really made yourself look so sophisticated and honest just now. /s
Is this copy paste as well?
Or do you just love your straw man that much?
Nobody mentioned paid trolls. Your argument is that Biden did minor things - that you've attempted to inflate, or ignore they were far below what was demanded (student debt is especially egregious here).
Just sad. And you wonder why your type keeps losing to an insane game show host?
You asked if somebody approved of the copy paste, implying that I require approval for statements I made.
The minimum wage was failed to be raised by the Democrats despite having both houses of Congress and the Presidency. Their excuse was the PARLIAMENTARIAN had denied it
Try and keep up.
The DNC have not had more than 48 senators in 13 years. To bypass Republican filibusters require 60 and in order to bypass presidential veto requires 67. The last time the DNC were in a good position to raise minimum wage was 2014 and... oh look... Republican Filibuster.
I didn't ask about your illuminati theories, dude.
Are you actually trying to claim the Democrats did not control the Senate starting in 2021? Sanders and King both caucus with the Democrats.
And thanks for bringing that point full circle . . . amazing how the GOP can pass laws when they control Congress, and yet the Dems can't. And sad sacks like you just make up excuse after excuse.
Which isn't fooling anyone, btw, except yourselves.
This isn't some obscure knowledge. Maybe actually read the news instead of asking ChatGPT for talking points in the future.
You appear to have lost track of what thread you're replying in? We already did this where you claimed nothing happened under DNC and I brought in a bigass list of things...
You having some memory issues?
I'm not the one claiming the Democrats haven't controlled the Senate, dear Schumer apologist
Yes. You might as well add "and Biden ate ALL his oatmeal". The number of talking points doesn't mean shit.
The irony of saying this while you defend Joe Biden's record is pretty funny, I'll give you that.