Trump Today: President raises shutdown specter by calling spending bill ‘ridiculous’

President Donald Trump called a spending package “ridiculous” in a tweet on Thursday, raising the chances for a partial government shutdown at the end of the month, and also blasted OPEC anew over the price of oil.

‘RIDICULOUS SPENDING BILL’

Trump raised odds for a government shutdown by labeling a spending package “ridiculous,” and imploring Republicans to “finally get tough” on the issue of border security and his proposed wall separating the U.S. and Mexico.

“I want to know, where is the money for Border Security and the WALL in this ridiculous Spending Bill, and where will it come from after the Midterms?” Trump asked in a tweet.

Republicans are aiming to push a fight over the border wall until after the Nov. 6 midterms, and the Senate has passed a bill to keep the government running through Dec. 7. The House is expected to act on the measure next week, but Trump’s tweet suggests he may not sign it. Government operations are funded through Sept. 30, and without a spending bill, a partial shutdown would ensue.

Andy Friedman, founder of the Washington Update, told MarketWatch in an email: “It’s the same vacillation that [Trump has] exhibited all along. I still think, in the final analysis, he’ll sign the bill, but it’s impossible to know with certainty what he’ll do.” Budget expert Stan Collender said Trump has been “consistently inconsistent” on a shutdown. Collender gave shutdown odds of as much as 60-40 before the midterm elections.

Read: Trump raises prospect of government shutdown — should investors worry?

TRUMP TEARS INTO OPEC

Also on Twitter, Trump took fresh aim at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, saying the cartel “must get prices down now!”

As MarketWatch reported, his remarks came ahead of a closely watched meeting in Algiers of a committee made up of representatives of OPEC countries and its outside allies. November futures on global benchmark Brent crude














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  turned lower Thursday. John Kemp, a Reuters market analyst, tweeted that Trump seems to want Brent prices “closer to $70 or below.”

Also see: Trump blasts OPEC on oil prices, says ‘must get prices down now!’

CONGRATULATIONS ON S&P RECORD

Trump said “congratulations USA!” on Twitter as the S&P 500














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  index notched an all-time high at Thursday’s open.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average














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  also notched its first intraday record in eight months Thursday morning. Strong economic data released Thursday helped to alleviate concerns over escalating U.S-China trade tensions — though Trump defended his trade policy in a video message.

See: Dow, S&P 500 trade at records in broad-based rally.

“It’s very important that China open its markets to our farmers, and everybody else,” Trump said, after touting the tariffs he has approved. “We’re changing things, and we’re changing them fast,” Trump said.

Also read: Trade-war tracker: Here are the new levies, imposed and threatened.