WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the apparent near end of the nation’s longest government shutdown amounted to a “very big victory” for Republicans during a Veterans Day speech that mixed the traditional solemnity of the day with a string of bare-knuckle political arguments.

With Arlington National Cemetery as the backdrop, Trump also celebrated his efforts to remake the armed services into a “Department of War” more aligned with his political goals.

After beginning with the customary paeans to service members, Trump quickly veered into a brief victory lap just a day after the Senate passed legislation to end the government shutdown.

“We’re opening up our country,” Trump said after congratulating the Republican leadership in Congress. “Should have never been closed

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