Rep. Ayanna Pressley blasted President Donald Trump and Republican senators Thursday night on CNN for the shutdown of the federal government, rebuking them for the creation of “this manufactured crisis.”

“They have created this hurt for the American people and framed it in this Trojan horse of a debate about security,” Pressley said in her appearance on “Out Front.” “And they are compromising the health and security of the American worker and family every day that this shutdown goes on.”

Responding to a clip of Trump saying the country “has to have” a border wall, the Massachusetts congresswoman said it was “unconscionable” for the shutdown to be “framed in the context of border security” when it threatens “the health and safety and security of the American people.”


“This tsunami of hurt, this manufactured crisis,” Pressley said of the shutdown. “What happened to his campaign about ‘America First’? In what way is America first? First to be held hostage by this administration? This is unconscionable. There is a residual and reverberating effect here.”

A shutdown is not policy, she pressed, arguing that a “comprehensive” conversation about immigration reform is needed, but only once the government reopens.

“This Republican Senate needs to do its job, they are not employees of Trump Tower,” she added.

"What happened to…'America First?'…in what ways is America first? First to be held hostage by this administration?"@AyannaPressley on Trump and the shutdown.

"This Republican Senate needs to do its job, they are not employees of Trump Tower," she addshttps://t.co/OLT0acLpFr pic.twitter.com/FD4dlOZeWk — OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) January 25, 2019

After her appearance, Pressley shared her “inner monologue” during the interview, addressing her “smirk” that caught attention on social media.

“Breathe, Ayanna,” she tweeted. “Look into black screen ahead, pretend it is a person. Get your points across, focus on the people. Squint some, so you don’t blink too much. Be serious, but smile some. DO NOT do that resting smirk face thing you do.”