WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he “won’t be extorted” by Democrats to reopen the government, making clear that he has no plans to negotiate as the government shutdown will soon enter its sixth week.
In an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired on Sunday, Trump said that Democrats who are demanding an extension in health care subsidies “have lost their way” and predicted that they will eventually capitulate to Republicans who have said they won’t negotiate until they vote to reopen the government.
“I think they have to,” Trump said. “And if they don’t vote, it’s their problem.”
Trump’s comments signal that the shutdown could continue to drag on for some time as federal workers, including air traffic controllers, are set to miss additional paychecks and as there is uncertainty over whether 42 million Americans who received federal food aid will be able to access the assistance. Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times against reopening the government, insisting that they need Trump and Republicans to negotiate with them first on an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.
Instead of negotiating, the president reiterated his pleas to Republican leaders to change Senate rules and scrap the filibuster. But Senate Republicans have rejected that idea, arguing that the rule requiring 60 votes to overcome any objections in the Senate is vital to the institution and has allowed them to stop Democratic policies when they are in the minority.
“Republicans have to get tougher,” Trump said in the CBS interview. “If we end the filibuster, we can do exactly what we want.”
With the two parties at a standstill, the shutdown, now in its 33rd day, appears likely to become the longest in history. The previous record was set in 2019, when Trump demanded that Congress give him money for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
An immigrant mother originally from Guatemala purchases fresh fruits for her children with the balance left on her California EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card used for SNAP benefits, in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
An immigrant mother originally from Guatemala purchases fresh fruits for her children with the balance left on her California EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card used for SNAP benefits, in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A potentially decisive week
Trump’s push on the filibuster could prove a distraction for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republican senators who have opted instead to stay the course as the consequences of the shutdown have become more acute.
Republicans are hoping that at least some Democrats will eventually give them the votes they need as moderates have been in weekslong talks with rank-and-file Republicans about potential compromises that could guarantee votes on health care in exchange for reopening the government. Republicans need five additional Democrats to pass their bill.