'Cracks in the Schumer armor': White House adviser says government shutdown may be ending soon



As the government shutdown closes in on its third week, some members of the Trump administration believe that Democrats may soon be willing to come to the table.

Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, suggested that the end could be in sight for the government shutdown.

'I think the Schumer shutdown is likely to end some time this week.'

In a CNBC interview, Hassett said, "A lot of our friends in the Senate have said that it was just bad optics for Democrats to open the government before the No Kings rally, and that now there's a shot that this week things will come together and very quickly the moderate Democrats will move forward and get us an open government."

The No Kings rallies, a series of feeble nationwide protests against the Trump administration, took place on Saturday. With this event in the rearview mirror, Hassett argued, Democrats may be ready to come to the table.

RELATED: George Soros foundations fund No Kings protests against Trump

Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

"There are sort of cracks in the Schumer armor. I think the Schumer shutdown is likely to end some time this week," Hassett said.

Democrats have similarly expressed hopes to reopen the government, but the entrenchment is far from over.

According to CBS News, Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said on Sunday during an interview on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," "We should be able to wrap this up this week if they will sit down and have a negotiation with us."

However, it is unclear whether this prediction will be substantiated this week. Democrat holdouts have not publicly indicated any change in their demands, though some moderates have already sided with Republicans on a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government.

Blaze News contacted the White House for comment but has not received a response.

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Exclusive: How Team Trump plans to 'Make America Wealthy Again'



Team Trump released a video Monday obtained exclusively by Blaze News highlighting President-elect Donald Trump's nominees, who the Trump team says will "Make America Wealthy Again."

Trump's nominees include Kevin Hassett for director of the National Economic Council, Howard Lutnick for secretary of commerce, and Scott Bessent for secretary of the treasury. Team Trump told Blaze News that the nominees will work in the administration to prioritize American workers and industry jobs as well as "permanently establish" Trump's tax cuts and eliminate taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security.

'We have the potential for the Golden Age here, because if we unleash US energy independence, energy dominance, I think we have the potential here to do a massive amount of deregulation.'

"The American people gave President Trump a mandate to Make America Wealthy Again by restoring our economy to be even better than his first term," Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance transition team, told Blaze News.

"From Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent's experience as transformative leaders on Wall Street to Kevin Hassett's proven policy record from President Trump's first term, these nominees are ready to invest in the American people," Leavitt continued. "Together, they form a team of economic experts dedicated to fighting for working families and Making America Wealthy Again."

Lutnick has been a "transformative leader" on Wall Street for the last 40 years. Lutnick began his career in 1983 at Cantor Fitzgerald, quickly ascending to president and CEO by the impressive age of 29. A pivotal moment in Lutnick's career was in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks that claimed the lives of hundreds of his employees, including his brother and his best friend. As a tribute, Lutnick committed himself to rebuilding the firm to support the families of those whose lives were lost and to "provide a source of hope and strength for survivors."

Bessent, the founder and CEO of Key Group, has overseen businesses across several key industries like agriculture, hospitality, publishing, and real estate. He has also played a key role in some of the largest and most profitable trades, making him a "well-equipped" candidate to oversee the treasury.

"We have the potential for the Golden Age here, because if we unleash U.S. energy independence, energy dominance, I think we have the potential here to do a massive amount of deregulation," Bessent said in the video.

Hassett has also been at the forefront of many economic and policy debates ranging from taxes and trade to substance abuse and deregulation. Hassett also holds extensive economic credentials, including serving as the 29th chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, holding a doctorate in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and currently serving as managing director at the Milken Institute.

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Top White House Economist Declines To ‘Get Into The Prediction Business’ When Pressed On Inflation

'Most outside independent forecasters continue to see price increases moderating'