Eliza Collins: Trump’s Shutdown Threat Is a Little Too Close for Comfort for GOPers

EXCERPT:

REGAN: "How serious is the President on this one?"

COLLINS: "We really don’t know. The President has threatened this before. He’s pretty unpredictable. It’s a little too close for comfort for Republicans. The government funding deadline is end of September. Obviously the mid-terms are in the beginning of November. That’s pretty close on a year when they’re already fighting against so much."

REGAN: "You know, typically and John made the point, that afternoon Republicans get blamed for shut downs. Let’s face it, the American public doesn’t like it. Their anger gets directed at Congress and oftentimes towards the party that is in the seat. This time, this is a little different. My question to you is there political motivation? The President says 'I really want this done and this might galvanize my supporters, my base?' "

COLLINS: "That’s absolutely what he thinks. It probably will galvanize his supporters and his base. The problem is his supporters and his base are not enough to win an election. The Republicans cannot lose his base, so they have to keep them motivated. They need those centrist Republicans, the independents who will be turned off or likely in the past have been turned off by government shut downs, by this tough rhetoric on immigration. We saw this summer family separation, which is the Trump Administration policy, that’s been pretty unpopular in both parties, especially for those independents, so every time Trump is talking about immigration, talking about the wall, it gives Democrats the chance to bring back family separation, which they’re hoping will turn off sort of the middle voters that Republicans need."