Trump says Dems have no leader, remind him 'of Somalia'

President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that the ongoing government shutdown, which began after Congress failed to reach a funding deal last week, has given his administration an opportunity to cut what he called “billions in waste, fraud, and abuse" and pinned the blame on the Democrats, adding that the lack of leadership from the blue side reminds him of Somalia.

Speaking during an Oval Office press event with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump blamed Democrats for the standoff, saying they “made a big mistake” by blocking a Republican-backed short-term funding measure. “Because of the shutdown, we’re able to take out billions in waste, fraud, and abuse,” Trump said. “They handed it to us on a silver platter.”

The federal government entered a partial shutdown early Wednesday, after the Senate rejected a House-passed continuing resolution that would have funded agencies through November 21. The bill was opposed by Democrats who demanded that enhanced Obamacare subsidies, due to expire at the end of 2025, be extended as part of the deal.

Trump said his team is using the shutdown to review and eliminate unnecessary programs. When asked by a reporter if any had been identified, he responded, “Oh sure. I’m not gonna tell you, but we’ll be announcing it pretty soon. There are a lot of things we’re going to permanently eliminate.”

He praised his budget director, Russ Vought, as “a very serious person” working to prepare the next round of spending cuts. The president added that Democrats “have no real leader,” describing the party’s internal disarray as similar to a failed state. “I’m getting calls from Democrats wanting to meet—I’ve never even heard their names before. They remind me of Somalia,” Trump said.

Trump then turned his comments toward Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who was born in Somalia and immigrated to the U.S. as a refugee. “I met the president of Somalia and told him about the problem he’s got,” Trump said. “I said, ‘You’ve got someone from Somalia telling us how to run our country. Would you like to take her back?’ He said, ‘No, I don’t want her.’ You know who I’m talking about.”

The remarks came ahead of Trump’s closed-door talks with Carney, where the two leaders were expected to discuss trade, tariffs, and Middle East peace efforts. Trump said both countries were looking to “make some deals” that would be “good for both nations.”