Trump on federal workers not getting paid during shutdown: ‘I can relate’

President Trump has said he can “relate” to the pain of federal employees who are unable to pay their bills due to the ongoing government shutdown.

During a press gathering outside the White House on Sunday, Trump was asked about those struggling workers, and he said: “I can relate, and I’m sure that the people that are on the receiving end will make adjustments, they always do, and they’ll make adjustments.”

“People understand exactly what’s going on,” Trump added. “But many of those people that won’t be receiving a paycheck, many of those people agree 100 percent with what I’m doing.”

RELATED: 6 ways government shutdowns hurt you

The comment echoes what he said Friday during a press briefing after a reporter asked about a safety net for federal workers who need their checks and other benefits.

“Well, the safety net is going to be having a strong border because we’re going to be safe,” Trump said. “I’m not talking about economically, but ultimately economically. I really believe that these people — many of the people that we’re talking about, many of the people you’re discussing — I really believe that they agree with what we’re doing.”

The president has been criticized for not expressing more concern for thousands of workers affected by the shutdown.

In fact, the New York Times pointed out that in his one previous mention of federal employees, Trump accused them of having a political bias, tweeting: “Do the Dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are Democrats?”