Donald Trump is traveling through Asia this week as Americans at home bear the brunt of the ongoing government shutdown — which is already the second-longest such closure in U.S. history — with millions at risk of soon losing access to critical food benefits.
Air traffic control shortages also impacted travel over the weekend, with more disruptions predicted ahead about a month out of Thanksgiving, as staffers continue to work without pay.
The president, though, has made the prospect of a deal between congressional Democrats and Republicans to break the impasse between the two parties nearly impossible by usurping Congress’ power to appropriate and direct government spending and refusing to give it back.
Meanwhile, Trump is expected to sit down with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit this week, as the two sides intensify their negotiations on trade. Trump is also looking to set up a last-minute meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, telling reporters he “would love to see him.” The pair met three times during his first term in office.
The Trump administration is continuing to add pressure on Venezuela, with the country’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, now accusing the U.S. of “fabricating a new eternal war.”
