The 35-day shutdown, which began on December 22, 2018, was the longest in the nation's history. Roughly 800,000 federal workers were furloughed, while thousands of others were kept on duty without pay.
Trump on Friday signed a temporary three-week budget to end the current shutdown, the White House stated on the same day.
"On Friday, January 25, 2019, the President signed into law: H.J. Res. 28, the 'Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019,' which includes a short-term continuing resolution that provides fiscal year 2019 appropriations through February 15, 2019, for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government included in the remaining seven appropriations bills. Also included in the enrolled bill are provisions regarding retroactive pay and reimbursement, and extensions of certain authorities," the statement said, as previously reported by Sputnik.
Over the next three weeks, Trump is expected to continue talks with Democrats regarding his demand for $5.7 billion to construct a wall on the US-Mexico border. However, the president went out of his way to make it known that his decision to end the shutdown was "in no way a concession" and that he was merely "taking care" of the millions of people impacted by his shutdown.
"I wish people would read or listen to my words on the Border Wall. This was in no way a concession. It was taking care of millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the Shutdown with the understanding that in 21 days, if no deal is done, it's off to the races!" Trump tweeted Friday, vowing to repeat his shutdown in 21 days if the two parties are unable to strike a deal.
He repeatedly alluded to a "powerful alternative" that he "did not want to use this time" — a reference to a declaration of national emergency that would enable him to order US troops to build the border wall against the legislation of Congress and the House.
However, social media users were quick to point out what they considered to be Trump's defeat.
On its Saturday cover, the New York Daily News called the president a "cave man."
"Trump caved. He announced he's going to sign a wall-free temporary spending package to reopen the government," the New York Daily News tweeted Friday with an early look at their Saturday cover photo.