US President Donald Trump warned that a temporary government shutdown could lead to layoffs of federal employees and cuts to the Democratic Party's "pet projects."
He made the statement in an interview with One America News amid the ongoing budget crisis.
“If the shutdown goes on for a while, there could be cuts, and it would be their fault. And there could be other things. I mean, we could cut projects that they wanted, pet projects, and they would be cut forever,“ Trump said.
He noted that many may think that he wanted the shutdown, but that is not the case. "I didn't want it, but a lot of people are saying that because I'm allowed to cut things that should never have been approved, and I probably will," the president added.
The U.S. government officially shut down on Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass a budget for the new fiscal year.
The administration in Washington and Republicans in Congress have shown no willingness to discuss measures to reopen the federal government with Democrats, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said at a press conference on Thursday.
"We're ready. We can meet with anyone, anytime, anywhere, including the president and vice president, to try to find a way forward and get the government back on track," Jeffries said, referring to measures to end the partial federal shutdown. "Unfortunately, Republicans have shown no interest in discussing it," the lawmaker added.
“After the White House meeting on Monday, we saw the president's behavior - he behaved in a frivolous and unbridled manner. Neither I nor Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have received a single call about continuing the dialogue. We are ready to engage, but we need reliable partners on the other side“, Jeffries stressed.
US President Donald Trump said that the import tariffs he imposed would generate more than $1 trillion in revenue for the United States annually.
“The tariffs are just starting to bear fruit, ultimately they will amount to more than $1 trillion per year“, he said.
Speaking at the general debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly on September 23, Trump said that Washington is ready to trade with all countries, provided that the principles of fairness and reciprocity are observed. According to the US president, the trade tariffs that the US administration has imposed on most countries are a protectionist mechanism.