According to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Trump said that he would keep the government closed for a "very long period of time, months or even years", Sputnik rerorts.
"We told the president we needed the government open. He resisted. In fact, he said he'd keep the government closed for a very long period of time: Months or even years," Schumer told reporters.
Following the Congress swear-in ceremony that took place the day before, the US House of Representatives approved a bill to end the government shutdown despite Trump's threats to veto it.
Besides the Friday meeting with Trump, Democrats had another meeting earlier on Wednesday. Following the meeting, Schumer and Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi said the Democrats would continue to push their own legislation when the new Congress convenes to reopen the US federal government after Trump failed to provide a good reason for not ending the shutdown.
Federal government agencies have been partially closed since December 22 after Democratic lawmakers refused to meet President Donald Trump's demand for $5 billion to build the controversial wall on the US-Mexico border. The president rejected a Democratic deal that included $1.3 billion in border security.