Donald Trump in 2013: Government Shutdowns Happen When the President Is Bad at His Job

As the prospect of a shutdown looms larger by the hour, Republicans in Washington should be leaving no stone unturned in their frantic efforts to avoid closing a government over which they enjoy complete control. Fortunately, in October 2013, noted business mogul and television personality Donald Trump appeared on Fox News to deliver his sage advice on what a ruling party in turmoil could do to prevent such a disastrous outcome. Perhaps it might be of use to the current President of the United States, whoever that person may be, in their hour of greatest need.

VAN SUSTEREN: Donald, we're having a hell of a time trying to negotiate here in Washington. So tell me: If you were president, what would you do?

TRUMP: Well, very simply, you have to get everybody in a room. You have to be a leader. The president has to lead. He's got to get [the Speaker of the House] and everybody else in a room, and they have to make a deal. You have to be nice, and be angry, and be wild, and cajole, and do all sorts of things. But you have to get a deal.

From there, the longtime host of The Apprentice proceeded to share his frank assessment of how the federal government, at that time, could have arrived at such a humiliating impasse in the first place: an utter dearth of negotiating talent among its elected leaders.

TRUMP: Unfortunately, [the president] has never been a dealmaker. That wasn't his expertise before he went into politics. And it's obviously not his expertise now. But you have to get the people in the room, and you have to get a deal that's good for everybody and good for the country.

That all checks out!