Trump Explains How GOP Can Stop Shutdown From Happening Again

President Donald Trump said during a Fox News interview Monday that Republicans are drafting legislation to ensure the federal government can’t be shut down over partisan disputes again.

The Senate moved forward Sunday on a plan to reopen the government after some Democrats defied Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s leadership and sided with Republicans, ending weeks of unified opposition. In an exclusive interview with “The Ingraham Angle,” Trump said GOP lawmakers are working to include a provision in upcoming legislation that would permanently prevent shutdowns driven by political brinkmanship.

“We’re trying to put in a bill, as you know, the bill or a bill, that you can never do that again. You can’t just shut down the government because you’re trying to renegotiate a deal that you didn’t,” Trump told Laura Ingraham. “Don’t forget when we passed the Great Big Beautiful Bill, which gives you tremendous middle-income tax benefits, and it gives so much to everybody.”

The president also said the plan allows Americans to deduct interest on car loans, a benefit he said had historically been reserved for the wealthy.

“Think of it, no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, and no tax, very importantly, on overtime. If you work overtime, you don’t have to pay tax. So many other things. It gives you a deduction if you buy a car, you borrow money, you put a loan on a car, you’re allowed to deduct the interest. That’s never happened in our country before,” Trump added. “That’s always been for the richer people. They’re allowed to take deductions. Now you can deduct interest on a car. So we have tremendous goodies in there. You know, they like to try and disparage it. Oh, it’s the greatest bill ever passed in the history of our country. That’s why we did it all in one.”

After 14 failed attempts, five Democratic senators broke ranks Sunday night and backed a Republican proposal to reopen the government, ending the 41-day impasse. The lawmakers pointed to worsening shutdown effects — from halted food aid to missed paychecks — and new provisions guaranteeing a vote on Obamacare subsidies as their reason for flipping their votes.

Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said last week that reopening the government without concessions would severely damage his party’s image after its recent election wins. He added that backing down now would demoralize voters who had just renewed their faith in Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Republican strategist Mike McKenna told the Daily Caller News Foundation that Democrats gained the upper hand politically as the shutdown dragged on, while Republicans absorbed most of the blame. He argued that Senate Democrats’ decision to link the standoff to Obamacare subsidies was a calculated move that strengthened their position.