Remember when Trump wanted Obama fired over a government shutdown? CNN’s Don Lemon does.
Up until recently, President Trump has seemingly thought funding the government was an executive responsibility.
Trump has repeatedly blamed Democrats for his refusal to sign a spending bill last week because they wouldn't devote federal money to a border wall. But back when the government shut down in 2013, he thought the buck stopped with the president, CNN's Don Lemon recalled on Thursday.
As the government failed to reach a funding agreement during former President Barack Obama's term five years ago, Fox News asked Trump who should "bear the brunt of the responsibility" for an impending shutdown. "Well if you say who gets fired, it always has to be the top," Trump said at the time, adding that "the president is the leader" and he's "gotta lead."
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 just two weeks ago that he would be "proud to shut down the government over border security." But that's clearly not what he says now, Lemon incredulously pointed out on Thursday's show.
The partial government shutdown is now in its seventh day, with 420,000 federal employees expected to work without pay, per The Associated Press. Another 380,000 are furloughed at home. Trump, meanwhile, is touting that he stayed in the White House over Christmas to make a deal despite Congress leaving the Capitol for the week.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Massacre in the favela: Rio’s police take on the gangsIn the Spotlight The ‘defence operation’ killed 132 suspected gang members, but could spark ‘more hatred and revenge’
-
The John Lewis ad: touching, or just weird?Talking Point This year’s festive offering is full of 1990s nostalgia – but are hedonistic raves really the spirit of Christmas?
-
Sudoku hard: November 15, 2025The daily hard sudoku puzzle from The Week
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
-
GOP retreats from shutdown deal payout provisionSpeed Read Senators are distancing themselves from a controversial provision in the new government funding package
-
Catholic bishops rebuke Trump on immigrationSpeed Read ‘We feel compelled’ to ‘raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,’ the bishops said
-
House releases Epstein emails referencing TrumpSpeed Read The emails suggest Trump knew more about Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage women than he has claimed
-
Newsom slams Trump’s climate denial at COP30speed read Trump, who has called climate change a ‘hoax,’ declined to send any officials to this week’s summit
-
UK, Colombia halt intel to US over boat attacksSpeed Read Both countries have suspended intelligence sharing with the US over the bombing of civilian boats suspected of drug smuggling
-
Trump pardons 2020 fake electors, other GOP alliesSpeed Read The president pardoned Rudy Giuliani and more who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss
-
Supreme Court to decide on mail-in ballot limitsSpeed Read The court will determine whether states can count mail-in ballots received after Election Day
