Columbia News

U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) appeared on Fox Business’ Varney & Co. to discuss the ongoing government shutdown, which has become the longest in American history, and to comment on President Trump’s foreign policy approach.

During the interview, Schmitt criticized Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic leadership for their handling of the shutdown. “This isn’t a game. You’re dealing with real people’s lives. You’re dealing with [federal workers], law enforcement, air traffic controllers, who are working without pay. They have bills to pay at home. They have camps for their kids. They have things that they have to purchase to feed their families. For Chuck Schumer to continue this charade, to try to extract some political pain from Republicans is really irresponsible. What you’re seeing now with the reduction flights is a sad but real consequence of the Schumer shutdown. Republicans continue to vote to open up the government. If you want to negotiate about other stuff, that’s fine. But you got to open the government up first. That’s a very reasonable thing to do. But the Democrats are just so obsessed with this Trump Derangement Syndrome, they’re willing to do anything, including hold the American people hostage.”

Schmitt also commented on his expectations regarding Democratic lawmakers' actions after recent elections: “My prediction at the beginning of the week was that after the elections come, regardless of the result that the Democrats had. [They] wanted to make sure that their base was riled up. But that after the elections, at least five to ten of them would come to their senses and reopen the government. I’m still optimistic that’s going to happen. But interestingly, Chuck Schumer won’t be one of those guys [who votes to reopen the government]. He’s so afraid of his own shadow. He’s the Democrat leader, and he won’t be a part of [reopening the government]. He’s completely captured by the radical left. He’s afraid of [Alexandria Ocasio Cortez]. I wouldn’t be surprised to her if he chairs the ‘AOC for President Committee’ just to avoid a primary.”

On foreign policy matters, Schmitt praised former President Donald Trump’s diplomatic priorities: “I think what it is a bit of an insight into who President Trump really is, which is he seeks diplomacy first. He is the peace president. That is his North Star. He understands how destructive, cataclysmic and Armageddon-like nuclear war would be. That isn’t talked about as much as it was, say in the 1980s. But it’s a real thing. And I think he wants to do what he can to make the world a safer place. But the only way you do that is you have to be strong. And I think that is what President Trump is projecting at the same time.”

The interview addressed both domestic impacts from ongoing federal budget disagreements and international considerations under previous presidential policies.