Conservative lawmakers and pundits are blasting GOP leaders and President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE over the stopgap spending measure that Congress is expected to pass this week, which will not provide the $5 billion demanded by Trump for a wall on the Mexican border.

GOP lawmakers ripped the move, which will prevent a partial government shutdown beginning Saturday, saying that Republicans will have less leverage to win a fight over the wall next year, when Democrats control the House.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Let me get this straight... our chances of getting the Wall will be better in February when Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiHoyer: House should vote on COVID-19 aid — with or without a bipartisan deal Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose at Supreme Court McCarthy threatens motion to oust Pelosi if she moves forward with impeachment MORE is Speaker than now when we have the majority?” Rep. Jim Jordan James (Jim) Daniel JordanHouse panel pulls Powell into partisan battles over pandemic Sunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election House passes resolution condemning anti-Asian discrimination relating to coronavirus MORE (R-Ohio), who founded the Freedom Caucus, tweeted in disdain. “Give me a break. #DoWhatWeSaid.”

“The time to fight is now. Zero excuse,” tweeted Rep. Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November House moves toward spending vote after bipartisan talks House Democrats mull delay on spending bill vote MORE (R-N.C.), chairman of the Freedom Caucus, which is planning a series of floor speeches, as well as an amendment, demanding funding for the wall on Wednesday night.

Conservative media pundits were even more biting, arguing the cave by the GOP was a betrayal and singling out Trump by name.

Right-wing pundit Ann Coulter said she would not vote for Trump in 2020 if the wall is not built.



“Why would you?” Coulter said in a podcast interview with the Daily Caller. She separately tweeted that Trump was “betraying voters on the wall.”

Michelle Malkin, another conservative commentator, slammed the funding deal in a separate Fox News interview.



“I'm not going to spin it,” she said. “I wish I could but I can't. This is a cave. This was a blink.”

Trump just a week ago threatened to close the government if Democrats did not agree to provide $5 billion for his wall, saying in a meeting with congressional Democratic leaders that he would welcome a shutdown over the issue.

He also insisted that Republicans could quickly pass a funding bill with $5 billion for the wall. That never happened.

Instead, Democrats dug in, while Republicans argued the president had let go of valuable leverage in the White House meeting.

On Tuesday, the White House signaled it would not reject a funding measure that didn’t include the $5 billion in wall funding.



Trump’s statements at the televised White House meeting gave GOP leaders in Congress little room to maneuver, and for days GOP lawmakers said they were waiting for a signal from Trump on what to do.

But on Wednesday, Meadows said the move was both a “Christmas present” and a “Valentine’s Day gift” to Democrats, who he said would pocket a political win now and have another opportunity for a win on Feb. 8, when Congress will need to pass another funding measure.

Conservative groups said they would oppose the stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution or a CR.



“It’s behavior like this that leaves one with little wonder as to why Republicans in the House lost the majority,” said David McIntosh, president of the conservative Club for Growth advocacy group. “The kick-the-can-down-the-road approach to government funding is disappointing at best, and at worst it is a dereliction of duty.”

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) expressed disappointment that Republicans weren’t fighting for the wall funding.

“For two years, congressional Republicans have been repeatedly told that they must pass a short-term spending package to avert a partial government shutdown,” he said. “We were last told this before the midterms, and we were told that we would fight for wall funding, among other Republican promises, in the last spending package of the 115th Congress. Sadly, we did not even fulfill this promise.”