If Shutdown Continues Trump Would Have to Choose Between Economy and Wall

The partial government shutdown has become the longest one in U.S. history and many people are already feeling the negative effects of it, but should it last much longer, the President would have to choose between the economy or his long-sought wall.

With hundreds of thousands of federal workers set to miss their first paycheck soon, the shutdown’s effects can be felt all over the country. And as the usual political pressure points that normally end shutdown standoffs are not working, the stalemate could last for much longer.

“We’re going to stay out for a long time if we have to,” President Donald Trump told his supporters on Tuesday.

Senator John Kennedy confirmed the President’s comments, noting that Trump won’t concede ground and saying, “He is a carnivore — and on this one, he believes he is right.”

Further signaling the shutdown may drag on is the letter sent by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the President, asking him to move the day of his State of the Union address or submit it to Congress in writing due to security concerns. Trump is to deliver the speech on January 29.

CNN writes that the side effects of the prolonged shutdown may be the key factor to ending it. And the chances that the U.S. economy is seriously affected by the shutdown are quite realistic, with consumers feeling the blow.

The Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Kevin Hassett, has warned that the economy could suffer far more than was previously predicted and the shutdown could significantly shave growth figures.

“We subsequently, right now, think that it’s about a tenth of a percent a week, not a tenth of a percent every two weeks,” he said.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said on Wednesday that the shutdown was a “self-inflicted wound” and “negative” for the economy.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, on the other hand, tried to downplay the side effects of the shutdown on the economy.

“We are focused on the long-term economic goals of the administration. We have an incredibly strong economy, thanks to the President. We look forward to reopening the government, continuing to build on what we’ve done the last two years,” Sanders said on Wednesday.