April 2011 interview with NBC's Today Show, Donald Trump stated that a government shutdown would be "a tremendously negative mark on the president of the United States" and that the president is responsible for bringing people together to avoid it. His comments were made during a budget standoff with congressional Republicans while Barack Obama was president. Key quotes from Trump's 2011 interview: "If there is a shutdown, I think it would be a tremendously negative mark on the president of the United States". "He's the one who has to get people together". "I actually think the president would be blamed". Beloud