Trump party ruined

Government shutdown, demonstrations mark anniversary

DONALD Trump endured an embarrassing first anniversary as US President at the weekend as politicians traded bitter recriminations over a government shutdown while mass demonstrations erupted in cities across the country.

With no agreement in Congress, funding for federal agencies ran out, meaning Mr Trump’s second year as president began without a fully functioning government. Democrats continued to demand any short-term spending legislation must include protections for young undocumented immigrants known as “Dreamers”.

Republicans said they wouldn’t negotiate on immigration until Democrats gave them the votes needed to reopen the government.

US government workers were told to stay home or, in some cases, work without pay until new funding was approved in the first federal government shutdown since October 2013.

The famed Statue of Liberty was among the federal sites that were shuttered.

“This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present,” Mr Trump, who was in Washington, wrote on Twitter.

Highlighting the deep political polarisation, hundreds of thousands turned out for the second Women’s March, a USwide series of protests against Mr Trump.

The co-ordinated rallies in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and about 250 other cities featured speakers who blasted Mr Trump for policies that many said hurt women.

Protesters hoisted placards with messages including “Fight like a girl” and “Elect a clown, expect a circus”.

In Los Angeles, Eva Longoria, Natalie Portman, Viola Davis, Scarlett Johansson, Constance Wu, Adam Scott and Rob Reiner were among the celebrities who addressed a crowd estimated at 600,000.