The Art of the Threat

The Art of the Threat
Borrowing a stratagem from every petty thug with a protection racket, President Donald Trump has threatened to shut down the federal government in October if he doesn’t get his way:

“President Trump on Tuesday called for a government shutdown later this year and suggested the Senate might need to prohibit future filibusters, dramatic declarations from a new commander in chief whose frustration is snowballing as Congress continues to block key parts of his agenda.

‘Our country needs a good ‘shutdown’ in September to fix mess!’ Trump wrote in a series of tweets Tuesday morning. He likely meant a shutdown in October, as the current spending bill lawmakers have agreed to would fund government operations through Sept. 30.

Trump’s call for a shutdown, which appears to be unprecedented from a sitting president, come as his problems are mounting within the House and Senate, chambers that are both controlled by his party.”

— “Trump raises prospect of government shutdown to leverage better budget for GOP in fall,”  Damian Paletta and John Wagner, Washington Post

More:

“Trump Says U.S. Needs Government ‘Shutdown,'”Julie Hirschfeld Davis, New York Times

“President Trump Wants a Government Shutdown,” David A. Graham, The Atlantic

“Trump May Be Spoiling For A Shutdown Fight, But It Could Spell Disaster In 2018,” Jessica Taylor, NPR

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Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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