It’s rare that CNN locks horns with Democrats. But this one couldn’t be allowed to pass.
And now CNN cut off and called out a Democrat Senator for spewing this shameless lie.
Klobuchar’s Misstep on Trump’s Asia Trip
During a Tuesday appearance on CNN’s The Source, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., took a swipe at President Donald Trump’s upcoming Asia trip, framing it as an ill-timed escape while the government remains shuttered.
Host Kaitlan Collins swiftly corrected her, noting that Trump’s trip, set for the end of the week to address trade tensions with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, is hardly a “vacation.”
Klobuchar’s attempt to cast the President’s diplomatic efforts as a dodge from domestic responsibilities seemed to miss the mark, as Collins emphasized the trip’s long-planned, strategic nature.
Klobuchar’s remarks, which included a jab that Trump is “not willing to walk down the block” to meet congressional leaders, appeared to gloss over the complexities of his international obligations, potentially undermining her critique.
Stalled Shutdown Talks and Democratic Obstruction
The government shutdown, now in its third week since beginning on Oct. 1, has exposed deep partisan divides, with Klobuchar and other Democrats pointing fingers at Trump for refusing to negotiate.
Yet, Collins challenged Klobuchar’s narrative, noting that Trump indicated he would meet with Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, if they agreed to reopen the government.
Klobuchar sidestepped this, instead claiming Trump’s congressional allies are merely “rubber stampers” waiting for his orders on issues like health care premiums.
Her response avoided directly addressing Democratic resistance, notably their repeated rejection of bipartisan funding measures—most recently the eleventh failed attempt on Monday evening, led by Schumer’s near-unanimous Democratic bloc in the Senate.
Public Perception and Political Realities
Despite Klobuchar’s efforts to pin the shutdown’s fallout on Trump, CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten revealed on Monday that the closure hasn’t dented the President’s popularity. In fact, Enten noted that Trump’s net approval rating has risen slightly, suggesting voters aren’t fully buying the Democratic narrative.
Klobuchar’s insistence on framing Trump as disengaged—claiming he’s “not here” and unable to meet in the “next two days”—may overstate the case, given his packed schedule and willingness to engage if Democrats show movement on funding.
As the shutdown drags on, Klobuchar’s rhetoric risks appearing more like political posturing than a substantive call for bipartisan progress, especially as Democrats continue to block funding measures that could resolve the impasse.
