Trump Wanted Shutdown to Happen on Biden’s Watch, Not His NYT | Top Stories Michael D. Shear and Maggie Haberman 21 December 2024 at 08:14 The president-elect was eager to evade responsibility for the consequences of a potential shutdown even as he blew up a bipartisan deal that would have kept the government open. © Maddie McGarvey for The New York TimesPresident-elect Donald J. Trump at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate, this week.