Donald Trump Calls For Government Shutdown Over Fake Voter Fraud Fears

Trump says he would "shut down the government in a heartbeat" if Republicans don't pass a bill blocking noncitizens from voting, which is already illegal.

Former President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Republicans in Congress should shut down the government next month.

Trump said that if Democrats won’t agree to legislation barring noncitizens from voting ― something that rarely happens because it’s already illegal ― then Republicans should block legislation funding basic operations of the federal government.

“I would shut down the government in a heartbeat if they don’t get it and if they don’t get it in the bill,” Trump told podcast host Monica Crowley, a Republican operative who served in his administration.

Earlier this month, the far-right House Freedom Caucus took the official position that any government funding bill must include the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. Among other things, the bill would make states require proof of citizenship for voter registration. (Voter registration forms already require people to attest to their citizenship, under penalty of perjury, per federal law.)

Congress has to pass a spending bill by the end of September to prevent a partial government shutdown that would interrupt a wide variety of departments and services, but not major programs like Social Security and Medicare.