Gallego: Dems Changed to Think Shutdowns for Policy Are Okay Because ‘It’s Donald Trump’

On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Arena,” Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) said that Democrats are okay with shutting down the government to get policy concessions after opposing doing so before because “it’s Donald Trump.” And “It’s also normal not to tear down the East Wing.”

Host Kasie Hunt asked, “Republicans control the White House, they control the Senate, they control the House. And, in the past, Democrats, when Republicans have tried to do something like this, Democrats have argued that the norms of our government should be that you negotiate policy outside of a government shutdown. I have — over many years, covering Washington, people have said that over and over and over again. And now I have neighbors in the D.C. area who are both employed by the federal government who are having to use food banks. We are heading into Thanksgiving. Why is it suddenly right to do it this way and to do it for this long, when it didn’t used to be the right way, in Democrats’ view?”

Gallego answered, “Oh, that’s an easy answer, it’s Donald Trump. You’re talking about norms in the time of Donald Trump? It’s also normal not to tear down the East Wing.”

Hunt then cut in to say, “Right, but Democrats have spent so much time arguing about how maintaining those norms is actually incredibly important in the face of Donald Trump.”

Gallego responded, “It’s all out the window. It’s all out the window, Kasie. No, when you’re dealing with the time of Donald Trump, that is the man that is, like, extorting people. He’s literally breaking every [rule]. We’re not going to go back and play by the norms when we know that, what’s on the line, what’s on the line is 24 million people are going to have their insurance rates — premiums doubled. That’s a new thing, by the way.”

Later, Gallego added, “I’m not going to abide by old norms, especially when you’re dealing with this presidency, this administration, and how the Republicans themselves have been acting.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett