Ocasio-Cortez: Trump is more interested in photo-ops than ending shutdown

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) panned President Trump over the partial government shutdown, saying that he is uninterested in helping hundreds of thousands of federal workers who are working without pay. 

“Right now the President is more interested in photo-ops than getting people their paychecks,” she tweeted Wednesday morning.

Right now the President is more interested in photo-ops than getting people their paychecks.

I’m proud of my colleagues for staying strong despite his bad-faith offer after he threw a temper tantrum at @SpeakerPelosi.

He should reopen government and introduce his wall then. https://t.co/LyjSDBooXX

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 16, 2019

It was not immediately clear what Ocasio-Cortez was referring to, but Trump repeatedly mentioned his meeting with the national college football champion Clemson Tigers this week. Because the shutdown is affecting White House staff, Trump paid for fast food to feed the team during their visit.

{mosads}The partial government shutdown, which has shuttered approximately a quarter of the government since Dec. 22, entered its 26th day Wednesday, extending its record as the longest shutdown on record. About 800,000 federal employees missed a paycheck last week and continue to be either furloughed or working without pay.

The White House and congressional Democrats are at an impasse over funding for a border wall, with Trump demanding that $5.7 billion be included in any spending bill for his signature campaign promise. Democrats say they have no intention of providing the funds. 

A resolution is still not in sight as freshman and sophomore House Democrats, many considered to be moderates, declined to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday to hammer out a deal to fund the government.

Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive firebrand who has reportedly irked more moderate and establishment colleagues, praised the decision.

“I’m proud of my colleagues for staying strong despite his bad-faith offer after he threw a temper tantrum at @SpeakerPelosi,” she tweeted. “He should reopen government and introduce his wall then.” 

Trump has weighed declaring a national emergency to direct the military to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, essentially allowing the government to reopen.

The president said last week that he would “rather not” declare an emergency, while stressing that his preference was for Democrats to help negotiate a funding deal.