President Donald Trump is having second thoughts about taking responsibility for shutting down the government over his proposed border wall.

Just 10 days ago, Trump declared “I will be the one to shut it down, I am not going to blame you for it.” He made the bombastic statement to Democratic leadership in the Oval Office after being told he wouldn’t receive the $5 billion in funding he wants for his wall.

The president appeared to finally accept this earlier in the week, when the White House signaled that wall funding was no longer required to reach a deal on funding the government past Friday.

But following backlash from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter, Trump suddenly changed his tune.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced Thursday the president would not sign the continuing resolution that passed the Senate with the endorsement of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).


Trump later that day claimed “Democrats know” his border wall is needed and “they want to try and do anything possible to hurt us, because of the fact it’s politics.”

On Friday, the president started his morning by sending 10 tweets about his desired wall in a span of around 75 minutes that insisted Democrats would actually be responsible for a government shutdown that he bragged about a week and a half ago.

The president kicked things off by tweeting “it will be a Democrat shutdown!” if the $5.7 billion in wall funding that the House passed on Thursday night doesn’t also clear the Senate.

Senator Mitch McConnell should fight for the Wall and Border Security as hard as he fought for anything. He will need Democrat votes, but as shown in the House, good things happen. If enough Dems don’t vote, it will be a Democrat Shutdown! House Republicans were great yesterday! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

Trump then advocated for his wall — which he promised during the 2016 campaign that Mexico would pay for — by tweeting, “I know tech better than anyone.”

The Democrats are trying to belittle the concept of a Wall, calling it old fashioned. The fact is there is nothing else’s that will work, and that has been true for thousands of years. It’s like the wheel, there is nothing better. I know tech better than anyone, & technology….. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

…..on a Border is only effective in conjunction with a Wall. Properly designed and built Walls work, and the Democrats are lying when they say they don’t. In Israel the Wall is 99.9% successful. Will not be any different on our Southern Border! Hundreds of $Billions saved! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

No matter what happens today in the Senate, Republican House Members should be very proud of themselves. They flew back to Washington from all parts of the World in order to vote for Border Security and the Wall. Not one Democrat voted yes, and we won big. I am very proud of you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

He then threatened that “there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time” if Democrats don’t support his wall.

The Democrats, whose votes we need in the Senate, will probably vote against Border Security and the Wall even though they know it is DESPERATELY NEEDED. If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don’t want Open Borders and Crime! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

House Republican Vote, 217-185. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

Trump even appeared excited about a potential shutdown that would jeopardize funding for the Transportation, Justice, Homeland Security, State, and Commerce Departments — among many other government agencies.

Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

He also bizarrely claimed that former President Ronald Reagan “tried for 8 years to build a Border Wall.”

Even President Ronald Reagan tried for 8 years to build a Border Wall, or Fence, and was unable to do so. Others also have tried. We will get it done, one way or the other! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

Finally, the president capped things off by urging Republicans to use the “Nuclear Option” and end the filibuster in the Senate. That idea was quickly shot down by retiring Republican senators.

Mitch, use the Nuclear Option and get it done! Our Country is counting on you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

Thank you @SteveDaines for being willing to go with the so-called nuclear option in order to win on DESPERATELY NEEDED Border Security! Have my total support. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

All 10 of Trump’s tweets were sent in the space of little more than an hour — between 6:50 and 8:08 a.m. ET on Friday.

The president has claimed that his border wall is already under construction, even though it is not.

Over a third of the roughly 3,000-mile border between the U.S. and Mexico already contains fencing or similar barriers. Trump’s proposed wall would “add about 350 miles of fencing to an existing 654-mile border wall; even if the project were completed, about 1,000 miles along the border would still have no physical barrier.”


Numerous studies have shown that increased border enforcement — like walls — are not a deterrent to crossings. Apprehensions by border control, which are used to assess overall attempted crossings, are at a historic low and have been in steady decline since 2000.

The president may view this as his last shot at securing his long-promised border wall since the new Democratic-led House will be seated on January 3.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) — the presumed next House Speaker — recently told reporters that “The wall is not about money. The wall is about morality. It’s the wrong thing to do. It doesn’t work. It’s not effective. It’s the wrong thing to do and it’s a waste of money.”

Trump again tried to blame Democrats for a potential government shutdown later on Friday morning even though Republicans still control the White House and both chambers of Congress.