Hours before the start of a federal government shutdown, President-elect Donald Trump doubled-down Friday on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal — and if not, let the closures “start now.”

Watch White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s news briefing in the player above.

Trump, who is not yet even sworn into the White House, issued his latest demand as House Speaker Mike Johnson arrived early at the Capitol, instantly holing up with some of the most conservative Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus who helped sink Trump’s bill in a spectacular Thursday evening flop. The clock is now racing toward the midnight deadline to fund government operations.

“If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now,” Trump posted on social media.

  • shoulderoforion@fedia.io
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    3 days ago

    he’s shutting down the government, until he and his republican congress take over, then he’ll act the conquering godking and revive it as if he were voldemort. dark brandon should have an oval office address on all the networks before the shutdown starts to say “bring it on motherfucker, everyone knows you’re calling for this, you want the smoke, you got it”