President Donald Trump said Democrats made one major miscalculation with the Schumer Shutdown. He argued they forgot that a shutdown pauses spending for the very programs they fight to protect.

Clips from his interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo aired Friday. She asked about the ongoing shutdown and whether the planned “No Kings” rallies were driving Democrat strategy.

Trump said rallies were not the reason. He said Senate leadership was grasping for relevance.

“Chuck is at the end of the line,” President Trump said. “He’s being beaten by everybody that they poll against him. And you know what he did is he did the right thing a couple of years ago on something like this. And he got hurt by his party.”

Trump said the shutdown posture shows political desperation. He argued that Schumer cannot afford to look weak inside his caucus.

“I don’t think it matters to him,” President Trump said. “He’s just so dead that he will do anything. I think they could just stay out forever, to be honest with you.”

Trump then outlined the mistake he believes Democrats made. He said they did not think through the spending mechanics.

“I mean, they made one mistake,” President Trump said. “They didn’t realize that gives me the right to cut programs that Republicans never wanted. You know, giveaways, welfare programs, etc, and we’re cutting them permanently. We’re cutting a $20B project that Schumer fought for 15 years to get.”

The White House later summarized the core dispute behind the impasse. Officials said Democrats tied reopening the government to a large policy reversal.

“Democrats are demanding that these reforms be repealed as a condition of keeping the government open for four weeks. This would result in the federal government spending nearly $200 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants and non-citizens over the next decade—nearly enough to fund the entire Children’s Health Insurance Program over the same period—all while repealing reforms that strengthen care for the most vulnerable Americans.”

Republican leaders said the House offered narrow fixes to blunt immediate harm. They said Democrats rejected those bills.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson noted that Democrats even blocked a standalone pay measure. He said the bill would have covered troops, Border Patrol, TSA, air traffic controllers, and other federal workers.

Democrats voted again on Friday to continue the shutdown. It was the eleventh vote to keep the government closed, according to House tallies.

Reporters asked Trump if street protests were the real driver. He shook his head and said the issue was power, not crowds.

He said Schumer once chose a moderate path and paid a political price. He argued that the party’s left flank now sets the rules.

Trump’s comments framed the fight as a test of spending priorities. He said that during a shutdown, the executive can suspend or shelve projects that require active funding.

He also said some cuts could become permanent. He cited a $20 billion effort Schumer had pursued for years as an example.

Republicans said the Democratic demand is a nonstarter. They said it would shift billions away from citizens and reward unlawful entry.

Democrats said Republicans are using the moment to advance unrelated cuts. They argued that health care is humanitarian and should be protected during negotiations.

Trump responded that border security and fiscal restraint come first. He said voters are tired of paying for programs that incentivize illegal immigration.

He closed with a prediction that Democrats misread the leverage equation. He said the standoff hurts their agenda more than his.