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.
Don’t forget to vote for the Washington Generals every election!
They’re due, baby!
To him: fuck you, you fucking fuck.
Schmuck needs to be booted out. They’re all just giving Moscow a nice time laughing.
his party shouldered much of the blame for the historically long shutdown last year
“much of”?
“So, you’re not gonna stop projecting about the Epstein files?” the reporter asked.
“No, no, not at all,” the pedofile sex offender said.
Democrats fell for it again? How am I not surprised?
“Fell for it”. Amazing how there is always a Leiberman in the punchbowl. No pattern to infer here, move along.
They got bought off again.
It’s not reasonable to do the ‘Both sides are the same!’ thing, as one side has masked fat guys killing people in the street without consequence - but it seems fair to say they’re shit and really nasty shit. You wouldn’t want to step in either.
It seems like a movement to primary all Democrats should have already started. Primaries could be two months out.
These fucking democrats are all stupid as hell. How many times will it take before they realize that trump never keeps his word except when its a petty threat.
Same donors, same team
Left wing, right wing = Same Bird
Time to pick up a new hobby.
Just a few more payments and I am sure they will come around…
People have to understand that Republicans and Democrats are the same thing, its the same serpent which bites its own tail. Its controlled opposition.
This argument persists because it is easier to believe that everything is rigged than to engage with the complexity of political institutions. It provides an emotionally satisfying shortcut, but it collapses under even a minimal amount of empirical scrutiny.
Dude. The heads of both parties are all over the Epstein files. They all hang out in the same social circles. It’s a big club, and you’re not in it.
The last two Democrat presidents aren’t on that list. And yet they sat on that intel and let the GOP take power. Bizarre.
I really do not agree with this statement. I think their actions speak for themselves and it’s quite easy to see through that.
In the article, the minority party is described giving up a strong bargaining lever in exchange for vague promises with no guarantee of follow through. Again.
Controlled opposition. The rest of the world sees it. Why not Americans?
Schumer was outwitted by Donald Trump again?
Why the fuck is this guy congressional leader? He isn’t qualified to be a fucking mailman.
Imagine being repeatedly outwitted by one of the dumbest motherfuckers on the planet.
He runs one of the most powerful countries on the planet, we’ve all been had.
What a fucking asshole.
Imagine cheering on this sack of shit as he sends in these goons to assault America itself. On top of that, the icing on the cake is that we are paying for all this nonsense as he withholds funds to disaster areas in this country. He vetoed WATER for Coloradans, many of which supported his dumb ass.
Jesus fucking christ.
“Good cop, bad cop”
All part of the plan
Democrats are the worst version of Charlie Brown and Lucy.
I’m honestly trying to think of a way they could be worse if they tried, and failing.
Schumer is going to personally enlist as an ICE agent, announcing he’s going to “change it from the inside.”
Do the glasses stay down when he executes a protester?
Who could have predicted this. Shocker.
It’s long past time for the MAGA comedy act of Schmuck & Jeffries to get the hook, and be dragged off stage.
Then maybe continue dragging to the bottom of a lake.
what? but the dems didn’t fold this time. the republicans did. they agree to leave dhs out of this bill. finally democrats did something good they are still catching strays?
They agreed to fund it for 2 weeks while they think about how they’re going to fund it for the remainder of the year.
