Trump was responding to a bipartisan bill on federal spending that is likely to be passed by Congress this week. The compromise spending package does not provide funds for many of Trump's campaign promises, such as a wall on the US border with Mexico.
In his tweet, Trump appeared to suggest that he would rather face a "shutdown" than compromise with the Democrats.
The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 2 мая 2017 г.
either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good "shutdown" in September to fix mess!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 2 мая 2017 г.
Republicans including Tennessee Senator Bob Corker and Arizona Senator John McCain appeared to be exasperated with Trump's tweets.
"I wish he'd think twice before tweeting," McCain remarked.
"I do wish somebody would take his iPhone away from him," Corker said, the Associated Press reported.
"I do wish somebody would take his iPhone away," said Senator Bob Corker about President Trump's tweets https://t.co/Mdmbx4Rpa0 pic.twitter.com/g75oVP8d9Y
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) 2 мая 2017 г.
After a meeting with Vice President Pence in which several Republican senators complained about Trump's tweet, Corker added that Trump's tweets should be approved by his staff.
"I think retrieval of his iPhone would be a good thing, and only staff-approved tweets after that," the Senator said.
Republican Senator for Arizona Jeff Flake said "absolutely none of that" when asked by the Washington Examiner if he agreed with Trump's call to end the 60-vote threshold.
"He can say what he wants. This is the Congress. There is a separation of powers. We appropriate and authorize," Flake said.
At a US Air Force Academy Commander-in-Chief trophy presentation, Trump called the bill a "clear win for the American people."
"This is what winning looks like, something you folks really know about," Trump told members of the US Air Force football team, who were celebrating a win over the US Army and Navy teams.
The nearly $1.2 trillion federal spending deal included many items that Trump and his administration previously avowed would never happen, including increased funding for sanctuary cities, Planned Parenthood and science resources.
Trump did get some funding to improve border infrastructure but was forced to drop his demand for funds to support one of his most prominent campaign pledges, to build a wall along the US southern border, which he claimed Mexico would pay for.
