The Rethuglicans' Shutdown Blues

While the disturbing saga of unhinged con man and Kremlin asset Donald "Rump" Trump is being told in the pages of Bob Woodward's devastating new book, "Fear," and while his judicial firewall Brett Kavanaugh is being grilled by Senate Dems, the potential for a Government shutdown looms as Rethugs fear that Rump may irrationally lash out and veto 2019 appropriations over his "Mexico-will-pay-for-it" border wall funding.

A Government shutdown would be a serious blow to Rethuglicans in the mid-term elections, as they are already bracing for the loss of the House. The public would see the Rethuglican-controlled Congress and White (Supremacist) House as culpable for the shutdown.  Rump has previously demanded that Congress provide billions of dollars to his taxpayer paid-for wall or he'll veto spending bills. While Rethugs in Congress are desperate to convince Rump to postpone his fight for wall funding until after the mid-terms, a radical white nationalist faction on his staff aren't cooperating:

"But any carefully laid plans could be for naught, as Trump receives contradictory advice from rival factions in the West Wing. Some White House officials are confident that Trump will sign spending bills keeping the government open.

A smaller subset of immigration hard-liners inside the White House, however, are encouraging Trump to fight on the border wall issue now, while Republicans still control Congress. These officials think the House majority is already gone — and they have encouraged Trump to hold the line for his border wall and secure a win while he can, according to multiple sources on Capitol Hill and in the administration."  (our emphasis)

Given Rump's recklessness and lack of impulse control (as highlighted in "Fear"), it must be of grave concern to Rethugs in Congress that Rump will refuse to sign any funding that doesn't include billions for his idiotic wall, precipitating a shutdown before the elections.

"But a shutdown now would almost certainly cost Republicans their House majority. Democrats are currently favored to win the lower chamber. And GOP lawmakers are already being dragged down by Trump’s abysmal approval ratings and the criminal cases involving Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen. There’s a sense that a shutdown would be the final nail in the coffin for House Republicans."

Their best hope is that they can muster the votes to override his veto, but alienate some of his rabid racist base. We're liking the predicament they're in.