Schumer: Republicans should ‘have the guts’ to tell Trump his ‘temper tantrum’ will lead to shutdown

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Sunday that President Trump’s “temper tantrum” over funding for his proposed border wall should not lead to a government shutdown, and called on Republicans to stand up to the president.

“Republicans just have to have the guts to tell President Trump he’s off on the deep end here, and all he’s going to get with his temper tantrum is a shutdown. He will not get a wall,” Schumer said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Schumer expressed confidence that Trump does not have enough votes in the Senate or the House to pass legislation that includes his desired $5 billion for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

{mosads}The New York Democrat and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have offered two options for Trump to consider, both of which included just $1.3 billion for border security. 

“We should not let a temper tantrum, threats push us in the direction of doing something that everybody, even our Republican colleagues, know is wrong,” Schumer said.

“If the president wants to debate the wall next year he can,” he added. “I don’t think he’ll get it, but I don’t think he should use innocent worker as hostages for his temper tantrum to sort of throw a bone to his base.”

WATCH: @SenSchumer says we can’t let the president’s “temper tantrum” cause a government shutdown. #MTP #IfItsSunday pic.twitter.com/DSj7JktTlP

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) December 16, 2018

Congress must pass a series of funding bills by Dec. 21 to avert a government shutdown. Trump has said he would be “proud” to shut down the government over his wall funding request.