President Donald Trump positively assessed the situation on Monday, the 10th, as the Senate passed a budget bill to end the government shutdown with the help of some Democratic defectors, leaving only a House vote with the Republican majority.

Addressing House Speaker Mike Johnson, who leads House Republicans, on Tuesday, the 11th, he said, "Congratulations to you, John (Thune, Senate Republican Whip), and everyone on this very, very big victory."

President Trump stated in a phone interview on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show," "We have achieved a great victory against the Democrats by reopening the government," adding, "They (Democrats) were not successful in the renegotiation."

"The House will vote soon, and I think it will probably pass with a 'yes' vote," he continued. "Then, of course, I will sign it." The House, with a Republican majority, is scheduled to hold a floor vote on the 12th, making it possible for the shutdown to conclude as early as that day.

President Trump reiterated his criticism, saying, "It is absolutely unacceptable to provide $1.5 trillion in healthcare costs, etc., for people who have illegally entered our country from prisons, gangs, and mental institutions."

President Trump's remarks were regarding government-subsidized health insurance, including Medicaid, and he repeated his point that undocumented immigrants or illegal immigrants are receiving free healthcare benefits funded by the taxes paid by American citizens.

Mainstream media outlets are connecting these remarks to the Democratic proposal to extend subsidies for 'Obamacare' (ACA - Affordable Care Act) and reporting that Trump's claims are false. This is because Obamacare is intended for taxpayers who file income tax returns, and therefore, it is largely unrelated to benefits provided to undocumented immigrants.

However, Republicans counter that what they refused to extend was the special COVID-19 additional subsidy passed during the Joe Biden administration. They argue that the Democrats' demands included "healthcare insurance for everyone," which encompasses benefits for undocumented immigrants, thus making the Democrats' claims false.

The budget agreement, which received the support of seven centrist Democratic senators and one pro-Democratic independent senator, includes a provision guaranteeing a Senate vote on the extension of Obamacare subsidies. However, there are significant and difficult-to-reconcile differences in the specific details of the extensions that both Democrats and Republicans wish to enact, leading to expectations that the Republican position, held by the majority party in both chambers, will ultimately prevail.

The government shutdown, which involves the suspension of certain federal government functions, began on the 1st of last month, surpassed the previous longest record (35 days) on the 5th of this month, and has been ongoing for 42 days as of the 11th.

NNP=Sung Ku Hong, Chief Reporter / Special Correspondent for this newspaper NNP info@newsandpost.com