One week into the government shutdown, top Republican leaders appear to have lost the plot.
President Donald Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are straining to project a united front against Democrats, just barely concealing tensions over strategy that have snowballed behind the scenes since agencies closed last week.
“Everyone knows you have to give up your leverage before negotiating in order to successfully negotiate. As long as the Democrats give us everything we want we can then come to the table and negotiate.”
Weeks later:
“Listen, sometimes a negotiation ends with one party simply saying no. That’s how this negotiation went. We say no to the Democrats far left Venezuela communism socialist Mao Stalin Antifa demands.”