Trump retreats from public view as government shutdown continues over border wall fight
By David Nakamura December 28 at 8:07 PM
President Trump remained out of public view Friday as the partial government shutdown reached the one-week mark, content to issue threats via Twitter amid a continuing standoff with Democrats over border wall funding.
Since arriving back at the White House early Thursday from a surprise trip to Iraq, Trump has had no public events, and aides offered few details about his schedule, other than saying the president was working and making phone calls.
In the evening, Trump left the White House for a short ride to Vice President Pence’s residence to join him, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner for a private dinner.
At a time when most of Congress has left town for the holidays despite the budget impasse, Trump has emphasized his decision to cancel a planned vacation at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and remain in Washington. But he has chosen not to use this time to engage in substantive negotiations over the budget or seize the public stage and make his case for funding the border wall. Instead, he has filled the silence with a rash of tweets that have blamed Democrats for the shutdown and cast illegal immigration as a threat to the country.
The president’s relatively low profile coincides with Republicans and Democrats digging in for an extended fight, with no breakthrough in sight. Trump’s allies on Capitol Hill said the president remained in touch with GOP leaders, but they said the only tangible talks Friday were between rank-and-file members of the two parties.
Congressional leaders have stayed mostly silent in recent days.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-retreats-from-public-view-as-government-shutdown-continues-over-border-wall-fight/2018/12/28/2da7b13a-0abd-11e9-a3f0-71c95106d96a_story.html
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