President Donald Trump and Republican leaders are reportedly preparing to use a looming government shutdown as political leverage, warning Democrats they will feel the brunt of the fallout if Congress fails to pass a short-term funding bill.
Trump Escalates Shutdown Standoff With Democrats
With less than a week until the deadline, Republicans are pushing for a seven-week stopgap measure, while Democrats are advocating for extending Affordable Care Act subsidies and reversing GOP Medicaid cuts, as reported by The Hill.
Trump has sharpened his rhetoric, accusing Democrats of demanding “free healthcare for migrants” and “open borders.”
Republicans Warn Blue States Will Suffer First in Shutdown
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) warned that Trump could decide which services remain “essential,” a move that could disproportionately affect Democratic-led states.
“I’d be much more worried if I were a blue state,” Marshall said. A senior GOP aide added that shutdowns are often defined not by policy disputes but by “the effect of the shutdown” on daily life.
The showdown marks a reversal from 2013, when Democrats successfully blamed Republicans for closing the government over Obamacare.
This time, Republicans believe they can flip the narrative, using Trump’s wide platform and targeted agency closures to pin responsibility on Democrats.
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Democrats Criticize Trump Over Shutdown Threat
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blamed Trump for the looming government shutdown, accusing him of refusing to negotiate while Democrats remained ready to strike a deal.
Schumer said the standoff would be “Donald Trump’s shutdown,” criticized the president for acting like a monarch, and defended Democrats’ push to protect healthcare and lower costs.
He concluded by casting Trump as a weak leader who avoided responsibility instead of negotiating.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called on Trump to return to negotiations, warning that Democrats would only back a bipartisan spending plan that safeguarded healthcare.
He criticized Trump for canceling a planned White House meeting with Democratic leaders and accused Republicans of driving the country toward a shutdown while ignoring what he described as a GOP-created healthcare crisis.
Trump Warns Democrats’ Policies Could ‘Destroy America’
Trump criticized Democrats on Truth Social, claiming their policies would harm the country.
He alleged they support free healthcare for illegal immigrants, funding for left-leaning media, leaving dead people on Medicaid and Social Security, cuts to rural hospitals, transgender participation in sports, open borders, and leniency on crime.
He warned these actions would “destroy America” and emphasized Republicans must stop them.
The White House posted on X on Wednesday, challenging Democratic leaders to “do the right thing” and promising to meet with them once they become “realistic about the things our country stands for.”
Schumer responded, asserting that Democrats are already “realistic about what the country needs” and asking when and where the meeting would take place.
Jeffries also responded that Democrats are ready to negotiate with Republicans. He urged the GOP to be prepared to discuss what he called the “Republican healthcare crisis.”
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