Trump might shut down the government because Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh think it's a good idea


In the latest example of the president taking notes from conservative pundits, President Trump said Friday afternoon that he might shut down the government later this month because it would help Republicans politically.
A new spending bill must be agreed upon by Sept. 30, just weeks before the midterms. Trump has provided a wide variety of answers as to whether he'd shut down the government in an attempt to secure funding for his border wall, but on Friday, he claimed that conservative figures like Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, and Rush Limbaugh favor the tactic.
Per the Washington Examiner, the president said aboard Air Force One on Friday that he "would do it because I think it's a great political issue." Limbaugh "says it's the greatest thing you can do," Trump said. "Levin, greatest thing you can do. Your friend Hannity, the greatest thing you can do."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump said Thursday that he'd rather avoid a government shutdown because it might hurt Republicans in the November election, Politico reported. On Wednesday, he said that he's "willing to do anything" to get the wall funded and "if [a shutdown] happens, it happens."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Trump is not sure he must follow the Constitution
speed read When asked about due process for migrants in a TV interview, President Trump said he didn't know whether he had to uphold the Fifth Amendment
-
Trump judge bars deportations under 1798 law
speed read A Trump appointee has ruled that the president's use of a wartime act for deportations is illegal
-
Trump ousts Waltz as NSA, taps him for UN role
speed read President Donald Trump removed Mike Waltz as national security adviser and nominated him as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations