CNN Reminds Amy Klobuchar That Trump’s Asia Trip Isn’t Exactly A Getaway

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins had to remind Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Asia while the government remains shut down is not a “vacation.”

Trump is set to depart at the end of the week reportedly to ease trade tensions and is expected to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to PBS. During CNN’s “The Source,” Collins asked Klobuchar if there were “assurances that you could get on the health care subsidies to vote to reopen the government” and then negotiate with Republicans, prompting the Democrat to bring up the upcoming trip. (RELATED: Hakeem Jeffries Rambles, Refuses To Say If Government Shutdown Will Drag Past Thanksgiving)

“The president needs to meet with the leaders in Congress. [Senate Minority] Leader [Chuck] Schumer, [House Minority] Leader [Hakeem] Jeffries asked to meet again before he [Trump] flies off to yet another part of the world. He’s been willing to negotiate in the Mideast,” Klobuchar said. “He’s been willing to negotiate in Asia, but he’s not willing to walk down the block and meet with the leaders of Congress. So, I think what has changed since the beginning of this is the American people are starting to see the bills.”

“Donald Trump refuses to negotiate, and gets on his plane and flies away,” the senator added.

“Well, he’s going on a trip — a long-planned trip to Asia. It’s not just like a vacation,” Collins pushed back.

Klobuchar then began interrupting, claiming the president is not able to meet with Democrats in the “next two days.”

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“But I asked him that today and I said, would you meet [with Democrats] before you go to Asia. Because obviously he’ll be gone for several days. But he basically said I’ll meet with them [Democrats] if they reopen the government,” Collins said. “We haven’t seen any movement from Democrats. Should we expect their government to be reopened by Friday?”

“I don’t know what he’s [Trump is] going to do. He’s not here and clearly the rubber stampers that behind closed doors say to us, ‘We really need to do something about these [health care] premiums. We know it, we understand it, but they’re waiting for his orders.’ And so that’s what’s happening right now,” Klobuchar said in response to Collins’ question before continuing to talk about the shutdown.

The shutdown officially began on Oct. 1 after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer led almost all Senate Democrats in opposing a bipartisan bill to fund the government. With the government shut down for nearly three weeks, almost all Senate Democrats voted down a bipartisan funding measure on Monday evening — marking the eleventh consecutive failed attempt to reopen the government.

Despite Democrats’ attempts to pin the government shutdown on Republicans, CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten said Monday the closure isn’t hurting Trump’s popularity among voters. Enten noted Trump’s net approval rating “is actually up a point in terms of his popular support.”

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