President Trump on Tuesday issued an all-caps New Year’s Day tweet predicting that 2019 “will be a fantastic year for those not suffering from Trump derangement syndrome.”
Trump, as he did last year, wished a happy new year to “the haters” and the “fake news media” before saying “enjoy the ride” heading into 2019.
{mosads}”Just calm down and enjoy the ride, great things are happening for our country!” Trump wrote in all capital letters.
The president late Monday shared a video reflecting on his 2018 in which he touted the state of the economy, his negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his push for a wall along the southern border. He closed the video by looking ahead to the 2020 presidential campaign.
“So Happy New Year, and let’s enjoy the next year, and then we’re going to enjoy the following year, and then we have four more and everything is going to be so beautiful,” Trump said.
The president spent New Year’s Eve in Washington, D.C., this year amid a partial government shutdown that has lasted 11 days and counting. The White House did not publicize Trump’s plans for the holiday and the president has not made a public appearance in days.
Trump was originally scheduled to travel to his Mar-a-Lago resort for the holidays as he did during his first year in office. He canceled the trip after lawmakers were unable to come to an agreement on funding for border security, leading to the partial shutdown.
The impasse was spurred largely by Trump’s demand for $5 billion for his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats have indicated they will not give in to the president’s demands, instead offering $1.3 billion for border security.
Democrats will officially take the majority in the House on Thursday, creating potential headaches for the president. Democratic leaders have said they intend to work with the White House where possible, but have vowed to carry out investigations and oversight of the administration.
On Monday, House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman-designate Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) introduced a continuing resolution to fund Homeland Security through Feb. 8 along with a legislative package to fund the remaining agencies through the end of the fiscal year.
Both the continuing resolution for DHS and the remaining funding legislation are expected to be taken up on Thursday in separate votes.