• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
government shutdown

Trump Spars With Schumer and Pelosi, Says He Would Be ‘Proud’ to Shut Down Government Over Border Security

By
Laura Stampler/TIME
Laura Stampler/TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Laura Stampler/TIME
Laura Stampler/TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 11, 2018, 3:43 PM ET

President Donald Trump told Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi that he would be “proud to shut down the government for border security” in a nationally televised meeting Tuesday.

Congress is facing a pre-holiday, partial government shutdown on December 21 at 11:59 p.m., an act that Trump previously told Politico that he’d be “totally willing to do” if Congress didn’t provide $5 billion in funding to build his long-promised border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. According to CQ Roll Call, Trump preferred a “back-and-forth” dialogue with Senate Minority Chuck Schumer and presumed House Majority Leader Pelosi rather that delivering his demands.

But the conversation, which CNN notes was supposed to be closed before Trump invited in press, quickly became heated when it became clear that Democrats did not plan to provide wall funding that went beyond $1.6 billion that had been previously negotiated on in a bipartisan agreement.

“If we don’t get what we want, one way or the other, whether it’s through you, through military, through anything you want to call, I will shut down the government,” Trump said, indicating that he could send the armed forces to build the wall if Democrats failed to provide votes that would offer funding. “I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down.”

Trump’s ownership of the looming shutdown was one of the few things Democrat leadership agreed upon in the meeting, a fact that was made particularly clear when Pelosi told the president that the American people believed they “should not have a Trump shutdown.”

The president, however, was less enthused by this designation (#TrumpShutdown is currently trending on Twitter), retorting, “A what? Did you say Trump?”

President Trump argues with Nancy Pelosi over government funding and potential shutdown.

Pelosi: "I think the American people recognize that we must keep government open … that we should not have a Trump shutdown."

Trump: "A what? Did you say Trump?" https://t.co/nTeGObvgKi pic.twitter.com/v8FbbPEyKR

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) December 11, 2018

“This has spiraled downward,” Pelosi said when the leadership argued over whether Trump could secure funding for the wall without Democratic votes in the Democratically led House and Senate, which has a Republican majority, although would need bipartisan support to reach the required 60 votes.

While Pence was also present at the meeting, his noticeable silence has provided for internet fodder.

https://twitter.com/annehelen/status/1072544990650355712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1072544990650355712&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fblogs%2Fblog-briefing-room%2Fnews%2F420811-pences-potted-plant-approach-to-trumps-heated-spat-with-dems

Slow pan on Pence as "Curb Your Enthusiasm" music plays pic.twitter.com/id9X4xXrKp

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) December 11, 2018

Funny how Pence was in that meeting, but you wouldn’t notice. He was like an embarrassed little kid dressed as a Christmas tree, in a 2nd grade holiday play, with no lines.

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) December 11, 2018

Although White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement describing the meeting as a “constructive dialogue” in spite of disagreement over the border, the White House later tweeted that Democrats were standing in the way of border security.

Democrats have made it clear that they would rather keep the U.S. border open to illegal immigrants than keep the government open to serve American citizens.

Enough is enough. It's time to make a deal for real border security.

— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) December 11, 2018

Democrats continued the sparring after the meeting as well.

Said Schumer outside the White House, “This Trump shutdown, this temper tantrum that he seems to throw, will not get him his wall and will hurt a lot of people.”

About the Author
By Laura Stampler/TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

murdochs
CommentaryMedia
OpenAI paid $100 million for a talk show. James Murdoch is eyeing an even bigger deal. The hot new asset class is humanity
By Lin CherryMay 17, 2026
2 minutes ago
dennis
CommentaryAI agents
Freshworks CEO: why agile enterprises are winning the AI race — and what they did differently
By Dennis WoodsideMay 17, 2026
17 minutes ago
A man with a headset sits at a desk in a call center.
EconomyAutomation
The AI boom hasn’t stopped U.S. companies from hiring cheap offshore labor, and overseas call center employment is still skyrocketing
By Sasha RogelbergMay 17, 2026
47 minutes ago
Zillow CEO doubles down on remote-work model: ‘There is talent everywhere in this country’
Workplace Cultureremote work
Zillow CEO doubles down on remote-work model: ‘There is talent everywhere in this country’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 17, 2026
50 minutes ago
Stressed job seeker
SuccessGen Z
Gen Z is right about the job hunt—it really is worse than it was for millennials, with nearly 60% of fresh-faced grads frozen out of the workforce
By Emma BurleighMay 17, 2026
57 minutes ago
epstein on the right, deutsche bank logo, dollar bill butterflies, and christian sewing on the left in a collage
BankingJeffrey Epstein
‘The Butterfly Trust’: How Deutsche Bank maintained Jeffrey Epstein as a client until he was arrested
By Lily Mae LazarusMay 17, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
15 hours ago
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
Future of Work
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
5 days ago
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
Future of Work
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
By Jacqueline MunisMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a 'non-linear' price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
Energy
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a 'non-linear' price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
18 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.