Former President Donald Trump has upped the stakes in the ongoing negotiations to prevent a government shutdown. Once New York Mayor Eric Adams exited the NYC mayoral race, Trump set his sights on Zohran Mamdani. He contended that Mamdani’s candidacy has only further complicated the political landscape.
Trump warned that if shutdown discussions do not progress soon, mass layoffs in the federal workforce could become a reality. Then there will begin to be layoffs,” said Kevin Hassett, a former economic advisor to Trump, highlighting the severity of the crisis.
In fact, the former president called the impending shutdown an “unprecedented opportunity.” He pledges to shrink or eliminate federal agencies and fire government workers. He has communicated to his team, including Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, that they are “lining things up and getting ready to act if they have to, but hoping that they don’t.”
Trump had no qualms in his rhetoric condemning the shutdown. Last week, he went to social media to post a doctored cartoon image of himself blasting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell out of orbit. This action has captured national attention and criticism, leading many to wonder if this is a sign of his administration’s economic approach.
Former president Donald Trump has laid out a proposal to address the long-standing violent hostilities between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Third, he is seeking to position himself as a strong leader on foreign policy. Meanwhile, he has stirred controversy with his “Truths” regarding tariffs on films and furniture, prompting inquiries about the specifics of these proposals.
The Trump administration has consistently threatened that massive job losses would be the immediate result of any government shutdown. Hassett reiterated this point, saying, “I think that everybody’s still hopeful that when we get a fresh start at the beginning of the week, that we can get the Democrats to see that it’s just common sense to avoid layoffs like that.” He added, “If they are, then I think there’s no reason for those layoffs.”
Democrats continue to stick to their guns in negotiations. They continue to hold firm on healthcare-related demands before they will even sit down with Trump to discuss the shutdown. Republicans have suggested that negotiations on the fate of the Obamacare tax credits should be deferred until after the shutdown is averted.
The U.S. Treasury is thinking through an exciting proposal. Perhaps they can issue a special $1 coin with Trump’s likeness on it to commemorate the country’s 250th birthday.
Trump’s administration is still sitting pretty as it wades through this pologround— Joe – in -high – dudgeon swamp. The clock is counting down to a possible shutdown, increasing the pressure on players from both camps. They need to come together soon to avoid a fiscal cliff that would have severe consequences for the livelihoods of millions of Americans.