Scoop: Trump enlists business to push Dems on shutdown

Source: msn/Axios

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President Trump and top aides are enlisting powerful business and labor groups to push Senate Democrats to end the government shutdown, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Trump, while threatening mass firings of government workers, is also playing an inside game by cultivating support from influential D.C. interests — a tactic he typically dismissed during his first administration.

White House officials tell Axios they've had about 400 calls with a range of interest groups in recent weeks to press them on the shutdown — even as Trump was publicly musing that it would give his team an opportunity to slash Democratic priorities.

They include outfits that haven't always supported parts of Trump's agenda, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Business Roundtable, which represents CEOs.

They also represent constituencies whose support will be coveted by both parties heading into the midterm elections next year.

Senate Democrats — who are trying to avoid cuts in public health insurance programs — have so far stood firm.