White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley claimed Wednesday that Democrats in Congress are "not serious" about funding the government and ending the current shutdown, accusing them of negotiating "in the press."

"What [President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE] wants on his desk is a bill that opens the government, that funds the government and protects the American people. And right now, the Democrats are not serious about that," Gidley said during an interview on Fox News.

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"And you know they’re not serious because serious people with serious plans and serious proposals don’t negotiate in the press," he added. "And that’s all that Democrats have done to this point.”

The federal government has been in a partial shutdown since Dec. 22 as lawmakers have been at odds over Trump's demand for $5 billion in funding for a wall along the southern border.

Gidley declined to say during the Fox News interview whether Trump would sign a bill that garnered Congress's approval without including funding for a wall, dismissing that scenario as a "hypothetical" that he wouldn't discuss.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiPowell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy Overnight Defense: House to vote on military justice bill spurred by Vanessa Guillén death | Biden courts veterans after Trump's military controversies Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings MORE (Calif.) and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerDemocrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise Pelosi, Schumer 'encouraged' by Trump call for bigger coronavirus relief package Schumer, Sanders call for Senate panel to address election security MORE (N.Y.) met Wednesday with Trump and Republican leaders at the White House, but there were no indications that the shutdown, now entering its 13th day, was nearing an end.

Democrats will regain control of the House when the 116th Congress takes office Thursday, and Pelosi — likely the next Speaker — said Democrats would move forward on a vote for a bill that doesn't include wall funding.

Trump, meanwhile, said Wednesday that the shutdown could last for a "long time" and pledged to continue pushing for a wall.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suggested that the shutdown could continue for weeks, saying that he doesn't think "any particular progress" was made Wednesday during the meeting between Trump and lawmakers.

He said later Wednesday from the Senate floor that a House plan to fully reopen the federal government is a "total non-starter," comparing it to "political performance art" that will not be taken up in the Senate.