Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., told Newsmax on Friday that he supports a government shutdown.
Congress was scrambling Friday to avert a partial government shutdown, hours after more than three dozen Republicans rejected a demand by Trump to use a spending bill to lift the nation's debt ceiling.
"All talk, no action," Tuberville said on "National Report." "That's what happens in Washington, D.C. I wish I was on a plane to ... get out of this clown show. President [Donald] Trump just needs a fresh head start when he takes over."
Tuberville said he would support a shutdown until Jan. 5 when the new Congress reconvenes.
"Start new, fresh ideas," Tuberville said. "Get people on the same page."
Tuberville said Democrats would be to blame if there was a shutdown. He also dismissed the notion that federal employees would go without paychecks over the holidays.
"Pay day's today, by the way, we got two weeks," Tuberville said. "If you can't do a couple of days without a paycheck ... and again, you're going to get paid back with interest, so that makes no difference. It's all blown out of proportion. There's nothing that would happen across this country that would affect any of the taxpayers."
A shutdown is a better alternative than a bad spending bill that would put the country on the wrong path, Tuberville said.
"We've got to get back to a budget. It's not rocket science," Tuberville said. "All we do is kick the can down the road. We've got to get away from this continuing resolution. We got to start doing a budget.
"Give President Trump a chance. He's not going to have a chance if we continue this absolute disaster of spending up here. I think the American people finally are listening to what's going on up here. And it is a clown show."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.