CNN host: Democrats risk “being portrayed as obstructionists” over Trump's shutdown

House Democrats have passed multiple bills to reopen government as Trump resists

From the January 7 edition of CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto

Video file

JIM SCIUTTO (CO-HOST): To be fair, there are risks for Democrats here as well. This wave election, they were elected to change things in Washington, to get things done. They have an ambitious agenda that extends far beyond immigration here. Do they not have the risk of being portrayed as obstructionists here, rather than doers? 



KAROUN DEMIRJIAN (CONGRESIONAL REPORTER, WASHINGTON POST): Sure. I mean, look. The president is already spinning hard to make this the Democrats' shutdown. As many times as he has said he owns the statements that he has made, saying he would own the shutdown, he is still trying to make this the Democrats' fault. And eventually, it doesn't even -- you don't even have to listen to the blame game anymore. If this goes on long enough, there's just going to be a general frustration with why can't the government be up and running and doing things, especially as the paychecks start not coming, as people's -- as this starts to radiate beyond just the 800,000 furloughed workers to actual programs that start to run aground. You're going to have a general frustration, discontent is a polite way of saying it, with Washington. 

Related:

Wash. Post: House Democrats vote to reopen government and deny Trump wall money, defying veto threat

Previously:

The sorry state of both-sides political analysis right now, in one blog post

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Meet the Press panel agrees that both sides are embracing "the Trump style of politics”