This post was originally published on coreyscottnaas.wordpress.com on 19 January 2019.
Regardless of the outcome of this government shutdown, the optics will always be on President Trump. 40 years from now, nobody will remember who the Speaker of the House was, or who the Senate Majority or Minority Leaders were. It won’t matter. Schumer? Pelosi? Two politicians the President didn’t like. (Do you remember who was House Speaker in 1979?) Donald Trump? The 45th President of the United States.
If people still remember this shutdown in 10, 20, or 40 years (and they will; 800,000 federal employees haven’t been paid for 4 weeks, and 420,000 are still required to work. The financial effects of three-quarters of a million people missing two or more paychecks will be felt for a long time), there’s one thing that they’ll never forget: That it happened while Donald J. Trump was President of the United States, over a wall.
Shift the blame wherever you like, Mr. President (though you already accepted it), but history has its eyes on you.