As the current government shutdown approaches a record-setting length, ABC News’ Jonathan Karl is certain that President Trump “absolutely feels like he’s winning” because of it. According to the journalist, he’s seen no sense of urgency from Trump or his allies to end the shutdown.
Karl stopped by “The View” on Tuesday morning in support of his latest book, called “Retribution.” To kick things off, host Alyssa Farah Griffin recalled working for Pence during last shutdown (there have now been three in total under a Trump administration), and noted she felt a sense of urgency to end it. The same cannot be said now, in her opinion, so she wondered what Karl has heard, and whether the president feels he’s winning with every day the government is shut down.
“He absolutely feels like he’s winning,” Karl said. “They feel no need to cut a deal with the Democrats. Donald Trump has spent far more time talking about the new marble he’s putting in the floor of the White House, obviously about the new ballroom, all of that. And obviously, he’s on a foreign trip now in Asia.”
At that, host Joy Behar quipped that Trump seems to consider himself more like Martha Stewart, as he talks of demolishing pieces of the White House.
“He’s very into doing this changing the White House, there’s no doubt,” Karl agreed.
“And I see no sense of urgency, and not even on Capitol Hill,” he added, circling back to Farah Griffin’s point. “I mean, the Republicans in the House — they control the House, they control the Senate — the House has not even been in session during the shutdown. I’ve never witnessed that. There’s always stuff while there’s a shutdown happening, trying to get to a deal.”
As of this writing, the government has been shut down for 28 days, with no end in sight, and thousands of people not getting a paycheck because of it. The previous record remains 35 days, back when the government shut down in December 2018.
“The View” airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.
