President Donald Trump held a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday as the administration seeks to de-escalate tensions over immigration enforcement activities in Minnesota. There’s also a looming partial shutdown of the U.S. government.
Democratic senators are opposed to passing a measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement. The measure needs 60 votes to pass the Senate. Republicans only control 53 seats in the upper chamber.
Trump announced at the Cabinet said he’s working with Democrats on Capitol Hill in a bipartisan manner to avoid a government shutdown by the end of the week.
“Hopefully, we won’t have a shutdown. We’re working on that right now. I think we’re getting close. The Democrats, I don’t believe want to see it either. So we’ll work in a very bipartisan way, I believe, not to have a shutdown,” Trump said during opening remarks at his Cabinet meeting.
Trump said he’s spoken with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are working together toward a deal to separate Department of Homeland Security funding from five other House-passed appropriations bills in hopes of avoiding a partial government shutdown this weekend.
Trump also touted “unprecedented achievements” in the administration’s first year, including “record” economic growth including on eggs and gas.
“The GDP growth in the fourth quarter was great…Just yesterday the S&P 500 hit 7,000 for the first time ever. It’s never been any time at which it’s been like that. The other stocks also. I think it’s 52 times for the DOW. It hit a record high. But the 7,000 was not a number that was even thinkable if you go back a year ago. And so S&P hit 7,000 for the first time ever. The stock market has set — actually 52, 53 all-time record highs since the election,” Trump said when speaking about the economy.
Trump also called out the media for saying he sleeps during press conferences and got the entire room laughing.
“It lasted for 3 hours, and some people said, ‘He closed his eyes!’ Look, it got pretty boring,” Trump jokingly said.
Trump also had a light-hearted moment with Vice President JD Vance, where they joked about the Cabinet meetings.
“I like this better than 3 hours! JD, would you like to say something? He is, after all, the VICE PRESIDENT!” Trump said.
Vance replied, “It’s OK sir, I’m here for the free coffee!”
WATCH:
🚨BREAKING: President Trump just called out the FAKE NEWS for saying he sleeps during press conferences & got the entire room LAUGHING.
“It lasted for 3 hours, and some people said, ‘He closed his eyes!’ Look, it got pretty boring.”
Follow: @BoLoudon
pic.twitter.com/briCgHDzVo— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) January 29, 2026
WATCH:
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump has just wrapped up his TENTH Cabinet meeting with an epic exchange with JD VANCE
"I like this better than 3 hours! JD, would you like to say something? He is, after all, the VICE PRESIDENT!"
VANCE: "It's OK sir, I'm here for the free coffee!" 🤣 pic.twitter.com/AkmkZxGk4K
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 29, 2026
Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. John Fetterman said this week he will not vote to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), rejecting calls from members of his own party and raising questions about unity as Congress faces a pivotal spending vote.
Fetterman’s statement Monday came amid growing pressure from all seven Democratic members of the U.S. House from Pennsylvania to oppose DHS funding unless it includes reforms they say are necessary to rein in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agency practices.
The House Democrats sent a formal letter Tuesday urging Fetterman and fellow Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick (R) to vote against the current funding bill.
Fetterman acknowledged disagreements with some immigration enforcement tactics but said he would not support what he characterized as an effort to trigger a partial federal government shutdown over the issue.
In a statement, he said he opposes shutting the government and is open to discussions on the DHS appropriations bill, including potentially removing it from a larger bundle of spending legislation.
He spoke out against ICE’s operation in Minneapolis and called for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s firing on Tuesday. But he added that he “will never vote to shut our government down, especially our Defense Department.” He stated that permitting a partial shutdown would not defund ICE, as the agency received $178 billion in funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which he opposed.
“I reject the calls to defund or abolish ICE,” Fetterman said Monday. “I strongly disagree with many strategies and practices ICE deployed in Minneapolis, and believe that must change.”
