Trump says 'Schumer Shutdown' gives him right to cut government programs 'permanently'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump slammed Democrats over the 19-day government shutdown, calling it the “Schumer Shutdown” and accusing the lawmakers of suffering from  “Trump Derangement Syndrome."

He vowed to use the impasse to permanently cut down government programs, while speaking to Fox News on Monday morning, October 20.

Trump blasts Democrats as 'lunatics'

“We have a deal. We just want an extension," Trump said. “And the reason we want an extension is because you can’t make a deal with these people. They’re lunatics. They’re gone crazy. They’re crazed people. Trump derangement syndrome,” he said, accusing the lawmakers of the shutdown, which has reached day 19.

“There really is that disease. At first, I found it to be amusing. Now, I find there really is - they want $1.5 trillion for health care for illegal aliens. If we do that, it will jeopardize the health care of the citizens of our country. So we’re not going to do that.”

"They're referring to me as a king. I'm not a king," Trump said in a Fox interview, referring to the “No Kings” protest.

"They made one mistake. They didn't realize that [the Schumer Shutdown] gives me the right to cut programs... giveaways, welfare programs, etc, and we're doing that. We're cutting them permanently," he said, referring to what his administration said about pausing $11 billion in projects, according to a report by Townhall. 

The third-longest shutdown

The current shutdown is the third longest since 1985. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has refused to reopen the government at least 10 times since the beginning of this month. 

Shutdown as political cover for Chuck Schumer

Earlier, Speaker Mike Johnson called the “No King” protest a stunt for Democrats amid the shutdown.

“The irony of the message is pretty clear for everyone. If President Trump was a king, the government would be open right now. If President Trump was a king, they would not have been able to engage in that free speech exercise out on the [National] Mall, by the way, which was open because President Trump hasn’t closed it,” the Speaker said.

“They needed a stunt. They needed a show. Chuck Schumer … needs cover right now. He’s closed the government down because he needs political cover, and this was a part of it,” he added.