MAGA Senator Exposes How Trump Killed Deal to End Shutdown

John Kennedy says he and Ted Cruz had a plan to reopen the Department of Homeland Security and pay TSA workers, but Trump rejected it.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 10:21am

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A Republican senator has revealed that he and a colleague had a plan to end the partial government shutdown and get TSA workers paid, but President Trump rejected it. John Kennedy said he and Ted Cruz had drawn up a two-step path to reopen the Department of Homeland Security and pass ICE funding separately, but Trump told them 'No deals with the Democrats.' This comes after reports that Senate Majority Leader John Thune had taken a similar proposal to Trump, only for the president to shoot it down.

Why it matters

The ongoing shutdown is causing increasing disruption at airports across the country, with TSA staffing shortages leading to long lines and delays. Airport leaders have warned Congress that the funding gap is having serious impacts on passenger and operational safety. This latest revelation shows that Trump himself may be prolonging the shutdown, despite public pressure to find a solution.

The details

According to Kennedy, he and Cruz had a plan to first take Democrats' offer to reopen the rest of the Department of Homeland Security, then pass ICE funding separately through reconciliation, where Republicans would not need Democratic votes. However, Kennedy said Trump rejected this, telling them 'No deals with the Democrats.' The president has also reportedly tied any DHS deal to passage of his proof-of-citizenship voting bill, the SAVE Act, which does not have the necessary votes in the Senate.

  • On March 24, 2026, Senator John Kennedy revealed the plan on Fox News.
  • On March 23, 2026, the Daily Beast reported that Senate Majority Leader John Thune had taken a similar 'everything but ICE' proposal to Trump, only for the president to shoot it down.

The players

John Kennedy

A 74-year-old Republican senator from Louisiana who says he and Ted Cruz had a plan to end the shutdown, but Trump rejected it.

Ted Cruz

A Republican senator who worked with John Kennedy on a plan to reopen the Department of Homeland Security and pass ICE funding separately.

Donald Trump

The 79-year-old president who rejected the plan proposed by Kennedy and Cruz, telling them 'No deals with the Democrats.'

John Thune

The Senate Majority Leader who also took a similar 'everything but ICE' proposal to Trump, only for the president to reject it.

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What they’re saying

“No deals with the Democrats. It would have worked. We could have had TSA paid by the end of the week.”

— Donald Trump

What’s next

Senators are back at the White House trying to salvage a similar framework, working on a package to fund most of DHS, including TSA, while leaving out ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations. Whether Trump will accept this version remains unclear.

The takeaway

This latest revelation shows that Trump himself may be prolonging the government shutdown, despite growing pressure to find a solution. The ongoing impasse is causing increasing disruption at airports across the country, with TSA staffing shortages leading to long lines and delays. It remains to be seen if lawmakers can reach a compromise that the president will accept.