‘Straight reality TV’: Stephanie Ruhle breaks down how Trump will try to take credit for averting shutdown

MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle said President Donald Trump was milking the looming government shutdown like a reality TV cliffhanger.

The House has already passed a one-month continuing resolution, but the Senate's Republican majority does not appear to have enough votes to pass their own by Friday night's deadline.

The White House is already blaming Democrats for the impasse, but Ruhle explained how the president would try to take credit for whatever compromise lawmakers might hammer out to avert a shutdown.

"Let's look at President Trump, who he is and what he likes to do," Ruhle said. "What do we know about him? As a real estate guy, he's well versed in bluffing, playing a game of chicken, and being happy to walk away from deals. As a celebrity, he understands ratings and reality TV."

"I speak to people close to the president who have done business with him for decades, and they're telling me that's exactly what he's doing here -- drumming up attention, beating the drum, all the eyes on the White House," she continued. "At the final hours, that president will be the one and only -- remember, President Trump, 'I and I alone can fix it' -- will sweep in, save the day, take Air Force one down to Mar-A-Lago and kiss his adoring fans at the $100,000 a couple tomorrow night."