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Former President Donald Trump has called on congressional Republicans to let the government to shut down in a dubious effort to undermine the criminal proceedings against him.<\/p>\n
Despite federal criminal proceedings being exempt from shutdowns, Trump posted to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Wednesday evening, \u201cA very important deadline is approaching at the end of the month,\u201d in reference to the Sept. 30 deadline to pass a funding bill.<\/p>\n
\u201cRepublicans in Congress can and must defund all aspects of Crooked Joe Biden\u2019s weaponized Government that refuses to close the Border, and treats half the Country as Enemies of the State,” he wrote. \u201cThis is also the last chance to defund these political prosecutions against me and other Patriots.\u201d <\/p>\n
Trump added: \u201cThey failed on the debt limit, but they must not fail now. Use the power of the purse and defend the Country!\u201d<\/p>\n
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
A government shutdown wouldn\u2019t impede criminal proceedings against Trump or affect his indictments in New York and Georgia, and his federal indictments for his alleged mishandling of classified documents and his role in inciting the Capitol riot on Jan, 6, 2021, have been exempted from previous shutdowns.<\/p>\n
In 2021, the Justice Department said in a memo that during a shutdown: \u201cCriminal litigation will continue without interruption as an activity essential to the safety of human life and the protection of property.\u201d <\/p>\n
The judicial branch wouldn\u2019t face disruption either, with the department\u2019s past statements indicating that it can operate for weeks even in the event of a funding lapse.<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s demand comes as House Republicans struggle to agree on a pathway to avert a government shutdown by the end of the month. <\/p>\n
Because a shutdown wouldn\u2019t halt criminal proceedings against Trump, some House GOP allies are trying to rein in his prosecutors by inserting provisions in government funding legislation aimed at defunding or limiting law enforcement from investigating the former president, as they claim without evidence that his four indictments are a political hit job against him.<\/p>\n
It is unclear whether the demands led by hardline Republicans would pass the House amid GOP infighting over reining in law enforcement power. House Republicans have yet to pass the Justice bill, one of two appropriations measures out of 12 total, a Democratic aide had noted.<\/p>\n
Calls to derail law enforcement in Trump\u2019s cases is also facing pushback from congressional Democrats and the White House.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrump ordered House Republicans to shutdown the government,\u201d House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., tweeted <\/a>Thursday in response to Trump\u2019s demand.<\/p>\n \u201cThese people are too extreme to ever be trusted,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a member of the House Judiciary Committee, slammed Trump\u2019s demand as a move that would negatively impact working Americans and the economy.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s be clear about what the former president is saying here. House Republicans should shut down the government unless the prosecutions against him are shut down,\u201d Schiff tweeted<\/a>. \u201cHe would deny paychecks to millions of working families & devastate the US economy, all in the service of himself.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n