Trump is pictured at his desk receiving updates on the government shutdown as his new campaign ad accuses Democrats of being 'complicit' in all future murders by illegal immigrants

  • Trump was said to be receiving updates about the government shutdown from the Oval Office  
  • Dan Scavino Jr tweeted a photo of Trump in a MAGA hat on the phone at his desk
  • Some people pointed out that it's unlikely Trump was doing work because there are no papers on the desk in front of him 
  • On Saturday Trump's campaign also released a new ad for the 2018 election
  • Ad calls Dems complicit in any future murders committed by illegal immigrants

President Donald Trump has apparently been receiving updates about the government shutdown over the phone as he spent his Saturday in the Oval Office instead of on the Mar-a-Lago golf course as he'd initially intended. 

Trump was pictured in one of his white 'Make America Great Again Hats' and apparently speaking on the phone Saturday afternoon. 

The White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino Jr said the President was 'receiving the latest updates from Capitol Hill on negotiations to end the #DemocratShutdown,' which was quickly called into questioning as there are no papers on his desk in front of him.

And as GOP leaders were keeping Trump up-to-date on the status of the Government, they were also releasing a new advertisement against illegal immigration and 2018 Democratic congressional candidates. 

The Trump campaign released a new ad on Saturday - calling Democrats 'complicit' in any future murders committed by immigrants who are in the country illegally.

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 The White House issued this photo of Donald Trump working the phones in the Oval Office on Saturday night

The White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino Jr said the President 'receiving the latest updates from Capitol Hill on negotiations to end the #DemocratShutdown,' which was quickly called into questioning as there are no papers on his desk in front of him

The Trump campaign released a new ad on Saturday - calling Democrats 'complicit' in any future murders committed by immigrants who are in the country illegally

The Trump campaign released a new ad on Saturday - calling Democrats 'complicit' in any future murders committed by immigrants who are in the country illegally

'President Trump is right - build the wall, deport criminals, stop immigration now,' the advertisement says

'President Trump is right - build the wall, deport criminals, stop immigration now,' the advertisement says

'President Trump is right - build the wall, deport criminals, stop immigration now,' the advertisement says over clips of Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer and Representative Nancy Pelosi. 

'Democrats who stand in our way will be complicit in every murder committed by illegal immigrants.' 

The ad came at a choice time for Republicans trying to paint the opposition party as guilty for the government shutdown.

Trump's campaign sent the ad, titled 'Complicit',after all but five Democrats voted against the spending bill Friday night because Republicans refused to discuss legislation that might offer DACA protections. 

The President has faulted Democrats for the shutdown - claiming that the party wants 'unchecked illegal immigration' over the 'safety of Americans.' 

He was especially upset over the shutdown because it meant he could not spend take Air Force One to Mar-a-Lago for a big-ticket gala commemorating his first year in office.    

The event at his private resort club commanded as much as $250,000 per couple for Republican campaign coffers. His sons Donald Jr and Eric are expected to attend in his place. 

Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority leader, also voiced that opinion, stating that Schumer 'wants to keep the government shut down for hundreds of millions of Americans until we finish negotiating on the subject on illegal immigration.

And while Schumer will admit that the lack of DACA protections are what kept most democrats from approving the budget - he says he thought he had a fix on Friday afternoon when he met with Trump. 

Charles Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, said trying to hammer out a deal with President Donald Trump is like 'negotiating with Jell-o'

Charles Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, said trying to hammer out a deal with President Donald Trump is like 'negotiating with Jell-o'

Schumer said he was ready to compromise and potentially fund a wall along the southern border - if it meant Trump and Republicans would agree to legal protections for DACA recipients, or 'Dreamers.'  

'On the thorniest issue of immigration, the president said many times he would take a deal that included DACA in exchange for the wall,' the Minority Leader said on Saturday afternoon. 

'I put that deal on the table in the Oval Office in a sincere effort at compromise. I put the wall on the table in exchange for strong DACA protections in the Graham/Durbin compromise.

'What’s even more frustrating than President Trump’s intransigence is the way he seems amenable to these compromises before completely switching positions and backing off.

'Negotiating with President Trump is like negotiating with Jell-o. That’s why this compromise will be called the Trump Shutdown.'

Additionally, many Democrats pointed out that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell knew he  didn't have the vote late Friday night, but pushed through anyway, knowing it would fail and result in a government shutdown.  

The Senate met at noon on Saturday to try to come to a potential solution, but weren't able to do so. The lawmakers are now adjourned until Monday. 

Eric Trump appeared on Fox News on Saturday evening - echoing his father's words that the president 'believes in putting Americans first.' 

'People have seen a year that's incredible, that's been filled with nothing but the best for our country, America-first policies, and they're happy with where we are as a nation,' Eric told Fox's Judge Jeanine Pirro. 

Trump, pictured Saturday with members of his cabinet, has attempted to push the narrative that the government shutdown is the fault of Senate Democrats

Trump, pictured Saturday with members of his cabinet, has attempted to push the narrative that the government shutdown is the fault of Senate Democrats

Earlier in the day Trump took to Twitter to lash out at the Democrats in a series of angry posts for not approving his bill to keep the shutdown from happening

Earlier in the day Trump took to Twitter to lash out at the Democrats in a series of angry posts for not approving his bill to keep the shutdown from happening

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McCaonnell also weighed in Saturday afternoon - slamming Schumer's words and blaming the shutdown on the Democrats

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McCaonnell also weighed in Saturday afternoon - slamming Schumer's words and blaming the shutdown on the Democrats

The President spent his evening retweeting Fox News quotes from the interview with his son, marking an even busier day on Twitter than usual. 

Earlier in the day Trump took to Twitter to lash out at the Democrats for not approving his bill to keep the shutdown from happening. 

'Democrats are holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration. Can’t let that happen!' Trump tweeted Saturday morning.

The tweetstorm comes amid mutual recriminations between Democrats and Republicans over who is to blame for the government shutdown, which took effect at 12am on Saturday.

'Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border,' the president tweeted just after dawn Eastern time on Saturday.

'They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead,' Trump tweeted a few hours later.

#WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!'

Trump then tweeted: 'This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present.'

The president then used the hashtag #DemocratShutdown.

'For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60,' Trump said in a follow-up tweet. 

'That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!'

Finally, Trump tweeted: '#America First!' 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McCaonnell also weighed in Saturday afternoon - slamming Schumer's words and blaming the shutdown on the Democrats.

'Here's the difference between the Democratic leader and the rest of us tonight,' McConnell said, with an off-the-bat reference to Schumer.

'He wants to keep the government shutdown for hundreds of millions of Americans until we finish negotiating on the subject of illegal immigration.'

McConnell then reiterated that Schumer's main concern was 'illegal immigration' twice more.

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: WHAT'S CLOSED? WHO IS AFFECTED?

The federal government shutdown only partially curbs operations. But the longer the shutdown continues, the more likely its impact will be felt.

U.S. troops will stay at their posts and mail will get delivered, but almost half of the 2 million civilian federal workers will be barred from doing their jobs if the shutdown extends into Monday.

How key parts of the federal government would be affected by a shutdown:

A general view of The United States Capitol is seen in Washington Friday as the shutdown begins

A general view of The United States Capitol is seen in Washington Friday as the shutdown begins

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

A shutdown plan posted on the Treasury Department's website shows that nearly 44 percent of the IRS' 80,565 employees will be exempt from being furloughed during a shutdown. That would mean nearly 45,500 IRS employees will be sent home just as the agency is preparing for the start of the tax filing season and ingesting the sweeping changes made by the new GOP tax law.

The Republican architects of the tax law have promised that millions of working Americans will see heftier paychecks next month, with less money withheld by employers in anticipation of lower income taxes. The IRS recently issued new withholding tables for employers.

But Marcus Owens, who for 10 years headed the IRS division dealing with charities and political organizations, said it's a 'virtual certainty' that the larger paychecks will be delayed if there's a lengthy government shutdown.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Half of the more than 80,000 employees will be sent home. Key programs will continue to function because their funding has ongoing authorization and doesn't depend on annual approval by Congress. But critical disruptions could occur across the vast jurisdiction of HHS programs — including the seasonal flu program.

Medicare, which insures nearly 59 million seniors and disabled people, will keep going. And so will Medicaid, which covers more than 74 million low-income and disabled people, including most nursing home residents.

States will continue to receive payments for the Children's Health Insurance Program, which covers about 9 million kids. However, long-term funding for the program will run out soon unless Congress acts to renew it.

Deep into a tough flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be unable to support the government's annual seasonal flu program. And CDC's ability to respond to disease outbreaks will be significantly reduced.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Many of the nearly 115,000 Justice Department employees have national security and public safety responsibilities that allow them to keep working during a shutdown. Special counsel Robert Mueller's team investigating Russian meddling in the presidential election will also continue working. His office is paid for indefinitely.

The more than 95,000 employees who are 'exempted' include most of the members of the national security division, U.S. attorneys, and most of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service and federal prison employees. Criminal cases will continue, but civil cases will be postponed as long as doing so doesn't compromise public safety. Most law enforcement training will be canceled, per the department's contingency plan.

A United States Capitol Police Officer sets up police tape and gates on the plaza of the The United States Capitol Building Friday

A United States Capitol Police Officer sets up police tape and gates on the plaza of the The United States Capitol Building Friday

STATE DEPARTMENT

Many State Department operations will continue in a shutdown. Passport and visa processing, which are largely self-funded by consumer fees, will not shut down. The agency's main headquarters in Washington, in consultation with the nearly 300 embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions around the world, will draw up lists of nonessential employees who will be furloughed.

Department operations will continue through the weekend and staffers will be instructed to report for work as usual on Monday to find out whether they have been furloughed.

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

The U.S. military will continue to fight wars and conduct missions around the world, including in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. And members of the military will report to work, though they won't get paid until Congress approves funding.

But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned Friday that a shutdown will have far-reaching effects.

'Our maintenance activities will probably pretty much shut down,' he said during remarks at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. 'We do a lot of intelligence operations around the world, and they cost money. Those, obviously, would stop. And I would just tell you that training for almost our entire reserve force will stop.'

And, while ships will remain at sea and airstrikes against enemy fighters will continue, any National Guard forces heading out to do weekend training duty around the country will arrive at armories and be told to go home.

US INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES

The workforce at the 17 U.S. intelligence agencies will be pared down significantly, according to a person familiar with contingency procedures.

The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, said employees who are considered essential and have to work will do so with no expectation of a regular paycheck.

While they can be kept on the job, federal workers can't be paid for days worked during a shutdown. In the past, however, they have been paid retroactively even if they were ordered to stay home.

HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT

A department spokesman said nearly 90 percent of Homeland Security employees are considered essential and will continue to perform their duties during a government shutdown.

That means most Customs and Border Protection and Transportation Security Administration workers will stay on the job, according to the department's shutdown plan, dated Friday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be staffed at about 78 percent, meaning more than 15,000 of the agency's employees will keep working. The Secret Service, also part of Homeland Security, will retain more than 5,700 employees during the shutdown.  

INTERIOR DEPARTMENT

The Interior Department says national parks and other public lands will remain as accessible as possible. That position is a change from previous shutdowns, when most parks were closed and became high-profile symbols of dysfunction.

Spokeswoman Heather Swift said the American public — especially veterans who come to the nation's capital — should find war memorials and open-air parks available to visitors. Swift said many national parks and wildlife refuges nationwide will also be open with limited access when possible.

She said public roads that already are open are likely to remain open, though services that require staffing and maintenance such as campgrounds, full-service restrooms and concessions won't be operating. Backcountry lands and culturally sensitive sites are likely to be restricted or closed, she said.

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

More than half — 34,600 — of the Department of Transportation's 55,100 employees will continue working during a shutdown. The bulk of those staying on the job work for the Federal Aviation Administration, which operates the nation's air traffic control system.

Controllers and aviation, pipeline and railroad safety inspectors are among those who would continue to work.

But certification of new aircraft will be limited, and processing of airport construction grants, training of new controllers, registration of planes, air traffic control modernization research and development, and issuance of new pilot licenses and medical certificates will stop.

At the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, investigations on auto safety defects will be suspended, incoming information on possible defects from manufacturers and consumers won't be reviewed and compliance testing of vehicles and equipment will be delayed.

The Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, whose operations are mostly paid for out of the Federal Highway Trust Fund, will continue most of their functions. The fund's revenue comes from federal gas and diesel taxes, which will continue to be collected. But work on issuing new regulations will stop throughout the department and its nine agencies.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the agency's infectious disease chief, said a government shutdown will be disruptive to research and morale at the National Institutes of Health but will not adversely affect patients already in medical studies.

'We still take care of them,' he said of current NIH patients. But other types of research would be seriously harmed, Fauci said.

A shutdown could mean interrupting research that's been going on for years, Fauci said. The NIH is the government's primary agency responsible for biomedical and public health research across 27 institutes and centers. Its research ranges from cancer studies to the testing and creation of vaccines.

'You can't push the pause button on an experiment,' he said.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has instructed workers there to come to work next week even with a shutdown. Pruitt said in an email to all EPA employees on Friday that the agency had 'sufficient resources to remain open for a limited amount of time.' He said further instructions would come if the shutdown lasts for more than a week.

The instructions from Pruitt are different from how the agency has operated during prior shutdowns and the contingency plan posted on EPA's website. A spokesman for the agency said earlier on Friday that the December 2017 plan was no longer valid. 

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NPS closes most national parks during government shutdowns. The agency controls 417 different 'units' from American Samoa to Maine. Of these 417 'units', 59 are national parks.

State parks and trails in certain national parks still remain open during government shutdowns. 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that he would use state funds to keep the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island - together comprising the Statue of Liberty National Monument - open. The National Park Service announced that both New York sites would be closed Saturday 'due to a lapse in appropriations'. 

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said Grand Canyon National Park would continue full operations despite the shutdown.

'If Washington, D.C., won’t function, Arizona will,' Ducey said in a statement. 

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CONGRESS HAS SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT: NOW WHAT?

The US government shutdown began at midnight Friday as Democrats and Republicans failed to resolve a standoff over immigration and spending. Here's a look at what the parties are fighting over and what it means to shut down the government.

WHAT ARE LAWMAKERS FIGHTING ABOUT?

Since the end of the fiscal year in September, the government has been operating on temporary funding measures. The current one expired at midnight. Republicans and Democrats have not been able to agree on spending levels for the rest of the year, so another short-term measure is the most likely solution. The House has passed a four-week bill Thursday that also extends funding for a children's health insurance program.

But Democrats have been saying for weeks they want a funding measure to be tied to an immigration deal that protects the thousands of young immigrants facing deportation. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is set to expire March 5, and members of both parties have been working on an extension that would also beef up border protection.

That deal has not come together, and Democrats have decided to dig in. They blocked the House-passed bill. Both sides were still negotiating early Saturday. 

Shutdown: Police tape marks a secured area of the Capitol, Friday in Washington

Shutdown: Police tape marks a secured area of the Capitol, Friday in Washington

THEY'VE BLOWN THE DEADLINE. NOW WHAT? 

The government begins to shut down. But not all of the government.

The air traffic control system, food inspection, Medicare, veterans' health care and many other essential government programs will run as usual. The Social Security Administration will not only send out benefits but will also continue to take applications — though replacements for lost Social Security cards could have to wait. The Postal Service, which is self-funded, will keep delivering the mail. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will continue to respond to last year's spate of disasters.

The Interior Department says national parks and other public lands will remain as accessible as possible. The stance is a change from previous shutdowns when most parks were closed and became high-profile symbols.

Spokeswoman Heather Swifts says the American public — especially veterans who come to the nation's capital — should find war memorials and open-air parks open to visitors. Swift says many national parks and wildlife refuges nationwide will also be open with limited access when possible.

The Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo will stay open through the weekend but close Monday. 

DO FEDERAL WORKERS GET PAID?

While they can be kept on the job, federal workers can't get paid for days worked during a lapse in funding. In the past, however, they have been repaid retroactively even if they were ordered to stay home.

Rush hour in downtown Washington, meanwhile, becomes a breeze. Tens of thousands of federal workers are off the roads. 

HOW OFTEN DID THIS HAPPEN IN THE PAST?

Way back in the day, shutdowns usually weren't that big a deal. They happened every year when Jimmy Carter was president, averaging 11 days each. During Ronald Reagan's two terms, there were six shutdowns, typically just one or two days apiece. Deals got cut. Everybody moved on.

The last one was a 16-day partial shuttering of the government in 2013, which came as tea party conservatives, cheered on by outside groups like Heritage Action, demanded that language to block implementation of President Barack Obama's health care law be added to a must-do funding bill.

WHO WILL GET THE BLAME?

In a 1995-96 political battle, President Bill Clinton bested House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his band of budget-slashing conservatives, who were determined to use a shutdown to force Clinton to sign onto a balanced budget agreement. Republicans were saddled with the blame, but most Americans suffered relatively minor inconveniences like closed parks and delays in processing passport applications. The fight bolstered Clinton's popularity and he sailed to re-election that November.

In 2013, the tea party Republicans forced the shutdown over the better judgment of GOP leaders like then-Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Republicans tried to fund the government piecemeal — for example, by forcing through legislation to ensure military service members got paid. But a broader effort faltered, and Republicans eventually backed down and supported a round of budget talks led by Paul Ryan, R-Wis., then chairman of the House Budget Committee.

Republicans are calling the current standoff the 'Schumer Shutdown,' arguing that there's nothing in the bill that Democrats oppose, while a short-term extension would give lawmakers time to work out differences on issues like protecting young immigrants and disaster assistance. Schumer says the GOP's unwillingness to compromise has brought Congress to this point. A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted earlier this week found 48 percent view Trump and congressional Republicans as mainly responsible for the situation while 28 percent fault Democrats. If the shutdown drags on for long, it could give voters another reason to turn away from incumbents of both parties in a mid-term election.

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