FOLLOW US

On Monday, Fox News analyst Juan Williams said in an opinion piece for The Hill that a government shutdown may backfire on President Donald Trump and the GOP during midterm elections.

An Overview of Williams' Statements and the Potential Government Shutdown

First, the Fox News analyst states that shutting down the federal government before midterm elections would send the wrong "message" to prospective voters. There has been talk of a potential government shutdown in relation to funding for the proposed wall along the southern border.

The creation of a border wall between the United States and Mexico is a reform measure that then-candidate Trump promoted during the 2016 presidential election. Towards the end of last month, the president hinted at shutting down the government if Democrats do not provide votes for "border security."

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1023557246628900864

The border wall is a highly controversial matter. Many of Trump's critics have slammed the proposed wall as unnecessary and ineffective.

During the 2016 election, Trump claimed that Mexico would pay for the wall. However, the Mexican government has repeatedly expressed its refusal to fund the southern border wall, and Trump is now seeking funding from Congress for it.

Throughout Williams' op-ed, he blasted the president as someone who "demonizes" and "attacks" immigrants. However, Trump has repeatedly expressed his support for legal and "merit-based" immigration.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1026481210405605376

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1024347409483292672

Will the Federal Government Shut Down?

At this point in time, whether a government shutdown will come to fruition is unknown. Williams furthermore notes that the Republican-controlled Congress currently maintains an approval rating of 15 percent. In light of this approval rating, he believes that the GOP would not be doing itself any favors by failing to halt the shutdown of the federal government.

However, not all Republicans appear to believe that a shutdown is on the horizon. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently affirmed his "optimism" about the GOP's ability to keep the government up and running.

The ramifications of a potential government shutdown is one of many pressing matters in the current political climate. Various Americans and politicians have expressed concerns about bipartisan extremism, calls to abolish ICE and potential Russian meddling in the upcoming midterm elections.