Lara Trump says shutdown is "a little bit of pain," but future generations will "thank" workers "for their sacrifice"
As some 800,000 federal workers prepare to miss a second paycheck, Lara Trump told those impacted by the longest government shutdown in history to "please stay strong" in an interview clip posted on Twitter earlier this week.
"Listen, it's not fair to you and we all get that," Lara Trump, the wife of the president's son Eric Trump, said in an interview with the digital news network Bold TV. "But this is so much bigger than any one person. It is a little bit of pain but it's going to be for the future of our country. And their children and their grandchildren and generations after them will thank them for their sacrifice right now."
Bold TV tweeted the interview clip Monday evening, as the shutdown had entered its 31st day. Some 380,000 federal employees impacted by the shutdown are furloughed without pay, while the rest are working without pay.
"I know it's hard. I know they have bills to pay, they have mortgages, they have rents that are due, but the president is trying every single day to come up with a good solution here," Lara Trump continued in the interview."The reality is it's been something that has gone on for too long and been unaddressed ― our immigration problem. If we do nothing right now it's never going to get fixed. This is our one opportunity."
President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats do not appear to be reaching a solution to reopen the government in the near future, with both sides at a standoff over funding for the president's proposed border wall.
Senators are scheduled to vote on Mr. Trump's proposal, which includes $5.7 billion in border funding, and a funding bill passed by the House, which does not include the border wall funding demand, on Thursday. Both proposals lack the support to pass.
Lara Trump, who is Mr. Trump's reelection campaign adviser and regularly hosts a weekly "Real News Update" video series on the "Donald J. Trump for President" YouTube channel, ended the interview by telling workers the administration stands behind them.
"I would just tell them, please stay strong," she continued. "We appreciate everything that you're sacrificing. We're behind you and we are going to do everything that we can, I know the president is doing everything he can, to resolve this quickly."
After receiving backlash on Twitter for the comments, with multiple users comparing her to Marie Antoinette, Lara Trump tweeted a statement.
"#FakeNews is rampant these days," she tweeted. "They're completely misrepresenting my words and my support for furloughed workers."
