WASHINGTON – Returning to the White House on Thursday after a whirlwind trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump attacked Democrats over the border wall funding dispute that closed parts of the government.

"Have the Democrats finally realized that we desperately need Border Security and a Wall on the Southern Border," Trump tweeted early in the morning on the sixth day of the partial government shutdown.

Democrats contend that the wall along the U.S.-Mexican border that Trump demanded is unnecessary and would be ineffective in stopping illegal crossings. The impasse rendered Congress unable to pass a bill to keep government agencies funded.

In an interview with USA TODAY last weekend, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi accused Trump of using “scare tactics” to build support for his proposed wall, which she joked had been reduced from a giant, cement structure “to, I think, a beaded curtain.”

In his tweet, Trump asked, "Do the Dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are Democrats?"

Trump's trip to Iraq was his first visit to a combat zone as president.

In a tweet after his return to the White House, Trump – who also stopped at a military base in Germany – praised the troops: "One thing is certain, we have incredible people representing our Country – people that know how to win!"