Trump Killed TSA Funding Deal in Fiery Private Exchange With John Thune: Report

(AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

President Donald Trump reportedly killed a TSA funding proposal privately pushed Sunday by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, one that would have ended the 37-day shutdown and had support from Senate Republicans and Democrats alike.

The plan would fund Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operations but defer funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the focal point of the standoff.

The plan also held back on some Democratic demands, including a mask ban for federal agents and a judicial warrants requirement.

Senators and aides told Punchbowl News on Monday that Thune approached the president on Sunday with the compromise shaped by pressure from Senate Republicans and some White House officials.

Thune told Trump that Democrats would accept the arrangement, which would keep airport security running and ensure TSA agents are paid, while leaving the ICE dispute to be resolved later through a party-line reconciliation bill.

Trump rejected the proposal outright, according to Punchbowl sources, and insisted Republicans remain in Washington and continue pushing Democrats to back both DHS funding and the SAVE America Act, a sweeping GOP bill on voter identification and election rules.

Hours later, the president unloaded on Truth Social in a lengthy statement that made clear his opposition to any deal that reduced ICE funding while demanding Thune “clearly identify” the “few ‘Republicans” he said were “voting against AMERICA.” He threatened that they “will never be elected again!”

Trump wrote:

I don’t think we should make any deal with the Crazy, Country Destroying, Radical Left Democrats unless, and until, they Vote with Republicans to pass “THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.” It is far more important than anything else we are doing in the Senate, and that includes giving these same terrible people, the Dems (who are to blame for this mess!), a Five Billion Dollar cut in ICE funding, a deal which, even when disguised as something else, is unacceptable to me and the American people – UNLESS it includes their approval of Voter I.D., (with picture!), Citizenship to Vote, No Mail-In Voting (with exceptions), All Paper Ballots, No Men In Women’s Sports, and No Transgender MUTILIZATION of our precious children. Put it all together, and also, let Leader Thune clearly identify those few “Republicans” that are Voting against AMERICA. They will never be elected again! In other words, lump everything together as one, and VOTE!!! Kill the Filibuster, and stay in D.C. for Easter, if necessary. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DJT

The intervention leaves negotiations stalled with no immediate end in sight to the ongoing shutdown.

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