Many Americans could soon lose crucial federal aid, leading some lawmakers to wonder whether it’s time for Donald Trump to start negotiating with Democrats. Panelists on Washington Week with the Atlantic We gathered last night to discuss the growing pressure to reopen government and when — or if — the president will get directly involved.
Trump has a tendency to “get involved when we need to,” White House reporter Seung Min Kim told The Associated Press last night. “That need will arise when Republican leaders say, ‘Okay, you need to come and do something about this.'” Still, Kim continued, Republicans’ messaging has been fairly consistent: To end the shutdown, Democrats will need to vote for the existing funding bill. “That calculus – that line from the Republicans all the way down – has not changed until now,” she added.
Join the guest moderator and Atlantic editor Vivian Salama to discuss and more: Paul Beckett, editor-in-chief of THE Atlantic; Jeff Mason, White House correspondent for Reuters; Kim, Associated Press White House reporter; and Andrea Mitchell, chief Washington and foreign affairs correspondent at NBC News.
Watch the full episode here.
