JD Vance Reveals What Democrats Were Saying Privately During Their Government Shutdown [WATCH]

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that several Democratic senators privately acknowledged concerns about their party’s strategy during the 43-day government shutdown, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity that they felt constrained by demands from the party’s most progressive members.

President Donald Trump signed a continuing resolution late Wednesday night to reopen the government after weeks of gridlock.

The resolution passed days after five Senate Democrats broke with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and voted to advance the measure, ending a blockade that had prevented passage 14 times.

Hannity asked Vance whether he had any private conversations with Democrats during the standoff. “Of course. Privately we were having conversations all the time,” Vance said.

“And, frankly, privately, the Democrats would recognize the position of their far left was crazy. But they all feel a little bit like they are being held hostage by their far left.”

Vance added that Schumer “probably ended his career, and he was the person who was fighting more than anybody to keep the government shut down.”

After the shutdown ended Sunday, several Democratic lawmakers, candidates, and political groups issued calls for Schumer to be removed as Senate Democratic leader.

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Schumer did not vote for the continuing resolution that President Trump ultimately signed and continued to marshal most of his caucus in opposition as the shutdown persisted over expiring Obamacare subsidies.

“So, the far left, they are never going to be satisfied unless the Democrats are willing to burn down the entire country. Luckily, there were a few moderate Democrats who allowed reason to prevail,” Vance said.

He described some of the proposals pushed by progressive Democrats during the shutdown negotiations as excessive.

“They wanted $1.5 trillion, a lot of that [to fund] health care benefits for illegal aliens. They wanted us to undo all of the great border policy we have been doing. They wanted us to refund NPR and PBS,” Vance said.

“They were basically saying that we want the far left’s priorities to dominate in the Trump administration, and unless that happens we are going to set the entire country on fire. A really disgraceful moment for the far left of the Democrats and, frankly, a very revealing moment for the American people.”

Vance said the demands extended into areas affected by the shutdown, including commercial air travel.

“They were talking about, ‘Give us $1.5 trillion for health care benefits for illegal aliens, and unless you do that we are going to make it impossible for you to fly home to see your family on Thanksgiving,’” he said, referencing the severe disruptions that hit airports during the funding lapse. “It’s just craziness that that was ever their position, but it was.”

Hannity asked Vance whether the government would return to normal operations quickly following the signing of the resolution.

“It’s going to take a little bit of time to get everything fully up and running,” Vance said.

He added that President Trump opted to sign the measure late Wednesday night, rather than Thursday morning, in order to reopen the government “as quickly as possible.”

“It goes to show the entire time the president, the entire administration, we were focused on getting the government turned back on, getting critical services actually funded so the government could function for the American people,” Vance said.

“The Democrats were focused on, ‘We want to take you hostage. We want to make it hard for you to get home to see your family on Thanksgiving so that we can give your health care benefits to illegal aliens.’ What an incredible juxtaposition of priorities.”

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