J.D. Vance

Well, Kristen, I wouldn't focus on the political pressure to get a deal.

We really don't care what the poll numbers say.

But what about what President Trump said?

What's good for the American people?

Well, Kristen, the president was talking back then when Barack Obama was president about the political realities.

We are focused now on the governing realities because we're in power and we're trying to make the American people's government work for the American people, despite the fact that Chuck Schumer, the Democrats, have shut down the government.

Well, as Chuck Schumer said, it's not all lawmakers.

It's the Senate leadership that really is driving this shutdown.

The House has already passed a bill to reopen the government.

It's the Senate.

And again, it's a far left sort of contingent of Senate Democrats who are keeping the government shut down.

But the president says he's a dealmaker.

Margaret, it's a totally fair question, and the answer is because this isn't a deal-making, this isn't a negotiation, this is hostage-shaking.

Chuck Schumer has not said to us, this is what we need.

He said that unless you give us what we need, we're gonna shut down the government.

That is a totally different thing.

If Chuck Schumer wants to come into the Oval Office or come to my house, he is welcome to talk about how to fix healthcare policy for Americans.

Well, so two responses to that, Margaret.

First of all, I want to assure the American people that the frontline health care workers, the people who monitor measles, Ebola, and other infectious diseases, those people are still on the job.

And we're trying very hard to figure out how to ensure those people get a paycheck, of course, because we want them to be happy and healthy.