(AP) — President Donald Trump gathered his Cabinet for a video-broadcasted meeting that ended without questions from reporters or comments from Homeland Security Kristi Noem or Attorney General Pam Bondi.

It seemed an opportunity to avoid commentary on the situation in Minnesota, where the recent deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents, and the FBI’s search of an election office in Georgia in relation to Trump’s 2020 election loss.

During the meeting, Democrats voted to block legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies as they continued to negotiate with Republicans and the White House on new restrictions for Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement. Thursday’s 45-55 test vote came as Democrats have threatened a partial government shutdown when money runs out on Friday.

Addressing the press gathered at the Cabinet meeting, just ahead of the vote, Trump said, “We don’t want a shutdown,” and that the two sides were discussing a possible agreement to separate homeland security funding from the rest of the legislation and fund it for a short time.