Trump: Funding deadline ‘last chance’ to defund ‘political prosecutions against me’

Former President Trump on Wednesday called on Republicans in Congress to use the looming government funding deadline as an opportunity to withhold funds from the Justice Department (DOJ), which has indicted Trump in two cases.

Trump said the deadline marks “the last chance to defund these political prosecutions against me and other Patriots.”

“A very important deadline is approaching at the end of the month,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Republicans in Congress can and must defund all aspects of Crooked Joe Biden’s weaponized Government that refuses to close the Border, and treats half the Country as Enemies of the State.”

Trump, the runaway front-runner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, has been indicted in four criminal cases. Two of the cases stem from DOJ special counsel Jack Smith, related to the former president’s handling of classified documents after leaving the White House, and his alleged effort to overturn the 2020 election after losing to President Biden.

Trump’s warning sign to Republicans comes as they struggle to find consensus, even within their conference, on how to move forward with a plan to avert a government shutdown before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30. 

Some members of the Republican conference have outlined their demands in exchange for their support of funding bills or a continuing resolution.

Yet, any partisan bill that does manage to get through the House is unlikely to win the support needed from the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats and has already made progress on advancing bipartisan appropriations bills. 

“They failed on the debt limit, but they must not fail now. Use the power of the purse and defend the Country!” Trump said in his post.