Trump lowered ‘temperature’ on Minnesota, wants to avoid shutdown: Bessent
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that President Donald Trump had “turned the temperature down” in Minnesota, where there has been major civil unrest over aggressive federal immigration efforts.
Bessent told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” that Trump was “urging” Congress to take action to avoid triggering a partial government shutdown amid disagreements over federal funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
If lawmakers don’t reach a decision on DHS funding, the shutdown could begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday; a group of Democrats recently rejected that following the killing of nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Trump has been in “constant contact” with lawmakers and has urged them not to shut down the government, Bessent told CNBC.
Bessent spoke as the Trump administration has softened its tone following its initial harsh response to two immigration-related murders in Minneapolis that sparked waves of anger among Democrats and even some Republicans.
The cabinet secretary refused to make a prediction on whether the shutdown, the second in less than four months, would be averted.
“I don’t know what to expect. Democrats could go crazy like last time and they don’t care. Like, they think this is a way to stop President Trump,” he said.
He also warned that another shutdown could cause more economic damage.
“Especially on the services side, when the government shuts down, that never comes back. So there’s a huge, permanent loss,” Bessent said.
The House of Representatives last week passed a more than $1.2 trillion spending package that includes funding for DHS, the agency responsible for federal immigration enforcement.
The package, which accounts for the bulk of government spending for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, requires Democratic support to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold. And if the Senate changes the resolution the House has already passed, the House would have to return after a pre-scheduled recess to vote on any amended measures, with little time to spare before closing.
Democratic opposition to the spending package grew rapidly after Pretti was killed on Saturday morning. Senate Democrats now say they will vote against the package unless the DHS portion is removed; Republicans have signaled that they will not do this.
Pretti was killed just weeks after another U.S. citizen, Renee Nicole Good, was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis.
In both cases, the Trump administration initially accused the slain citizens of domestic terrorism while fully defending its officers’ actions.
After widespread backlash and a new attack surveys It showed Trump’s immigration approval rating falling – the administration has reversed its stance.
“We’re going to de-escalate some of the tension,” Trump said Tuesday in Minnesota.
But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) suggested that this pivot was not enough for Democrats to eliminate the threat of a shutdown.
“The fix must come from Congress; the public cannot trust the administration to do the right thing on its own,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. he said.
“In the meantime, I will vote no on any legislation that provides funding [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] Until it is reined in and overhauled and Senate Democrats are overwhelmingly united on this issue,” Schumer said.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
