As the government shutdown approaches day 34, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has blocked Donald Trump's plans for his State of the Union address.
Ms Pelosi said the president will not be allowed to deliver the address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, in spite of his suggestion he would show regardless of whether he was welcome.
The House will not approve a resolution allowing Mr Trump to come until the government reopens, Ms Pelosi said.
Donald Trump responded by saying “we’ll do something in the alternative”, while branding Democrats “radicalized.”
The argument comes shortly after a new poll revealed Donald Trump’s disapproval rating has risen to 57 per cent - the highest recorded by the pollster since his presidency began. The Politico / Morning Consult survey found that a majority of Americans blame the president for the government shutdown.
With thousands of furloughed workers still not receiving pay, tensions are running high over the ongoing closure.
Police were called to a protest by a group of federal government workers at a field office for Senator Mitch McConnell in Kentucky.
The Senate Majority Leader blocked legislation on Wednesday that would reopen most of the government.
Some 800,000 federal workers are set to miss a second pay check this Friday.
Follow events as they happened:
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the US government shutdown, which entered its 33rd day on Wednesday.
As the standoff over the funding of Trump’s southern border wall continues, the dispute threatens to disrupt a huge event in the political calendar – the State of the Union address.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has cited shutdown-related security concerns in urging Trump to delay this year’s State of the Union.
But the White House is planning on pushing forward anyway. Intriguing, administration officials are also believed to be working on plans for an alternative event on 29 January, including a potential rally.
Here’s Clark Mindock with more:
Trump seeks to go ahead with State of the Union in spite of Pelosi letter
The White House is considering a rally as an alternative to the State of the Union if necessary
Trump's Moscow Tower designs 'revealed in leaked documents' after Rudy Giuliani said 'no plans exist'
President's lawyer has changed his position several times
Government shutdown 'causing FBI to lose informants' at centre of terrorism investigations
'These assets cannot be replaced,' joint terrorism task force coordinator saysThe per cent of Americans who say they are confident Russia is not blackmailing Donald Trump is surprisingly low — just 31 per cent of the country, according to a major new Morning Consult poll.
A slate of polls released Wednesday are showing bad numbers for the president and Republican leadership.
Just seven per cent of the country support funding Donald Trump’s border wall in order to end the government shutdown, which has entered Day 33 on Wednesday.
More from the polls out on Wednesday:
Nancy Pelosi’s favourability ratings have increased since assuming her role as the speaker of the US House of Representatives, while Donald Trump’s disapproval ratings has reached record highs.
The vast majority of the country — 71 per cent — say the border wall isn’t worth the battle that has shut down several federal agencies for weeks on end.
Meanwhile, just 28 per cent say the wall is worth the nation’s longest government shutdown.
The FBI Agents Association has publicly condemned the ongoing government shutdown, which has reached Day 33 — the longest in American history.
The association says the impasse “undermines essential FBI operations” following a 72-page report the FBI released this week revealing the extent of the impact the shutdown has had on the federal agency.
“You tell me what you would do if your family needed security financially, and you're not getting it from the federal government,” a spokesperson for the association said.
Here’s more from the FBI Agents Association President Tom O’Connor discussing the historic government shutdown.
The association’s president told CNN it’s “utterly disgusting” the shutdown has forced federal employees to rely on food from the office while continuing to work without pay during the impasse.
Senator Angus King discussed the government shutdown in an interview with CNN on Wednesday morning, saying he believed the president must “come to grips with the reality that he’s not the CEO of America.”
“He doesn’t get to say we are going to build a wall,” the Independent senator continued. “He’s got to persuade Congress.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has rejected Donald Trump’s demands to negotiate in the midst of a government shutdown, telling reporters on Wednesday, “We cannot have the president, every time he has an objection, to say I’ll shut down the government until you come to my way of thinking.”
She added, “If we hold the employees hostage now, they’re hostage forever.”
