WASHINGTON -- Real estate mogul Donald Trump supports shutting down the government as a way to defund Planned Parenthood, potentially setting the bar for the rest of his fellow GOP presidential candidates currently trailing him in the polls by a large margin.
Senate Democrats voted Monday to block a bill that would have stripped federal funds from the nation’s largest family planning provider. The GOP-backed effort was prompted by a series of edited undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the donation of fetal tissue after abortions for scientific research.
With no way forward for the vote, some conservatives are pushing on congressional leaders to defund the organization at the end of September, when government funding is set to run out. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) employed a similar, albeit unsuccessful, tactic in hopes of defunding the Affordable Care Act.
In a Tuesday interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump credited Cruz for his efforts, and signaled that Republicans ought to follow his lead on Planned Parenthood.
"If the Republicans stuck together you could have done it with Obamacare also, but the Republicans decided not to stick together and they left a few people out there like Ted Cruz," he said in the interview. "You know, they left a lot of the people who really went in and wanted to do the job and you know what? If they had stuck together they would have won that battle. I think you have to in this case also, yes."
Many Senate Republicans, including then Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), opposed Cruz's tactics. The resulting 16-day government shutdown in 2013 ultimately hurt Republicans in the polls and failed to extract concessions from Democrats.
On Sunday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), one of Trump's rivals for the GOP presidential nomination, balked at the idea of a government showdown over the women’s health group.
"I support any legislation that will defund Planned Parenthood. But I don't think you start out with your objective to shut down government," he said.