President Donald Trump continues to claim full support from the GOP for his border wall. However in addition to lacking the support of the one Republican Representative for a district on the southern border, 12 Republican members of the House of Representatives voted against Trumps government shutdown tactic.
Last week five Republicans joined Democrats to vote on spending bills to reopen the government. The next House vote saw seven GOP members siding with the Democratic majority.
Then Wednesday the GOP defectors climbed to eight. By Thursday a dozen House members of the GOP decided the Democrats had the right idea. Republican Senators also expressed support for reopening the government without wall funding.
But those facts did not deter the President from claiming full GOP support for his shutdown and his wall. And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell—who blocked Democratic efforts to reopen the government from being considered by the Senate—echoed Trump despite facts proving otherwise.
Watch their remarks here.
President Trump following Senate Republican Policy Lunch: "The Republicans are totally unified." https://t.co/eOMvrVfj97— CSPAN (@CSPAN) 1547062758.0
If Trump's shutdown continues beyond Friday it becomes the longest in history. And some members of the GOP may not want that as their political legacy.
People are pointing that fact out.
Last week 7 House Republicans voted to fund government. Yesterday it was 8. Today it is 12. More and more #GOP Mem… https://t.co/lzHKYM33Wh— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1547165726.0
While others are asking why, if the GOP believed a wall was vital, neither Mitch McConnell nor Paul Ryan pushed through the funding Trump wanted for his wall for the years the Republicans controlled the House, Senate and White House.
For two years, the GOP controlled the White House and both houses of Congress. If The Wall had been an actual prio… https://t.co/a9H9IFrS2e— Bryan Behar (@Bryan Behar) 1547096626.0
With consideration that the GOP never funded Trump's wall during the years the could have without any issue, lead many to posit the shutdown and supposed emergency manufactured for an entirely different purpose.
Do not be fooled: Trump and the GOP know *exactly* what they're doing with this shutdown. We break down their plan… https://t.co/mXlRJwRW3z— Sarah Kendzior (@Sarah Kendzior) 1547057221.0
Can you guess why the #TrumpShutdown and the “national emergency” both suddenly happened now? I’ll give you three g… https://t.co/ef7zjTOVIi— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@Jon Cooper 🇺🇸) 1547220270.0
Pay attention to the long-term, cumulative damage of the shutdown, including the effect on the census. The Trump a… https://t.co/RN2QyrxLHl— Sarah Kendzior (@Sarah Kendzior) 1547224041.0
BREAKING: Three Republican sources tell me even if Democrats did give Trump wall funding, he wouldn’t reopen the go… https://t.co/PbhZblkHdU— Scott Dworkin (@Scott Dworkin) 1547157268.0
People made certain to point out their opinions on Trump's government shutdown and GOP unity directly to the President.
Many responded to the President on Twitter calling him out on his threats of a national emergency.
@realDonaldTrump @wef Hey clown, Please declare a national emergency. Then the next Democratic president can call… https://t.co/uaHZpQkaOD— William LeGate (@William LeGate) 1547144595.0
@realDonaldTrump @wef How do your supporters justify this??? Trump (re: the wall): "During the campaign, I would s… https://t.co/dKkzOPoyN7— William LeGate (@William LeGate) 1547144630.0
And openly mocked the President's statements.
@williamlegate @realDonaldTrump @wef Oh, and now there’s a NEW caravan in Honduras... just formed this morning and… https://t.co/RxuHsaTRmz— Vitruvian_Man (@Vitruvian_Man) 1547144923.0
@RandyBaez9 @williamlegate @realDonaldTrump @wef Live shot from Honduras 😂 https://t.co/KxIZe4kn5P— G🚫D (@G🚫D) 1547145199.0
While others put credit for the shutdown squarely on the President.
@realDonaldTrump @wef Trump shuts down our government and holds federal workers and the security of our country hos… https://t.co/d4MTqxe63r— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1547144237.0
@realDonaldTrump @wef Because of the Trump shutdown, our food safety is compromised without FDA inspections, our ai… https://t.co/D0MBinFxrW— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1547144299.0
@realDonaldTrump @wef The Coast Guard even asked its federal employees and their families to hold garage sales to c… https://t.co/hPWIWBRMyM— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1547144440.0
@realDonaldTrump @wef Perhaps the one silver lining of Trump cancelling his trip to Davos is that we can spare our… https://t.co/E15xUan8jL— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1547144606.0
@realDonaldTrump @wef Plus it doesn’t seem like Trump wrote this tweet because if he can’t spell forest he sure as… https://t.co/GA6oCDmmms— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1547144928.0
Friday, January 11, marks the 21st day of Trump's government shutdown, tying for the longest in history.