WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump on Friday accused congressional Democrats of seeking a government shutdown.

"Democrats want to shut down, and they want to shut it down because they want to give billions -- ultimately trillions -- of dollars to illegal migrants," Trump told reporters before departing the White House to attend a golf tournament in New York.

Democrats reject the charge as unfounded, saying instead that they are trying to protect subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, without which health care will become unaffordable for millions.

Calling the Democrats "crazy," Trump claimed: “So, if it has to shut down, it’ll have to shut down. But they’re the ones that are shutting it down."

Earlier this week, Trump canceled a planned meeting with top congressional Democrats, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, one week before the Sept. 30 deadline for a potential government shutdown, citing what he described as their “unserious and ridiculous demands.”

- 'Republicans want to shut down the government'

Congress is in the middle of a standoff as government funding is set to expire at the end of September. The Republican-controlled House passed a short-term bill to keep the government up and running through Nov. 21, but the Senate rejected the proposal as well as a separate Democratic effort.

Jeffries held a news conference at the Capitol to criticize Republicans for proposing to cancel next week’s votes as the House is scheduled to return from recess.

“House Republicans, on vacation, cancelled votes on the eve of a government shutdown, and Donald Trump is at a golf event,” Jeffries said, adding that Trump did not have time to meet with Democratic leaders to fund the government.

"It's outrageous, and why are they running out of town? It's because Republicans want to shut down the government.

"They want to continue to inflict pain on the American people, and they want to continue to gut the health care of everyday Americans," he added.