The culture of fear is being stoked by former President Donald Trump, who has reportedly threatened mass firings should Congress fail to stop a government shutdown. This warning is particularly poignant as Senate funding negotiations appear completely stalled, with no realistic expectations of passage. For his part, Trump dubbed the coming stalemate an “unprecedented opportunity.” He pushes on to reduce what he calls “Democrat Agencies” and further his agenda to downsize government.
As the shutdown deadline nears, Trump’s White House has threatened to make these layoffs permanent. Up to 10,000 federal workers might be thrown out of work. By freezing $18 billion in Department of Transportation funds, Trump has taken a very audacious strategic move. These funds were allocated specifically for two large scale public infrastructure projects in New York City. Nearly $8 billion in climate-related initiatives across 16 states, won by Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, has been cancelled by the Department of Energy.
On Friday morning, Trump further escalated tensions by freezing another $2.1 billion in federal funds allocated for Chicago’s transit system. The Trump administration is clearly counting on this series of funding freezes to work as a strategy. Their hope is to use these policies to put pressure on Democrats in the shutdown negotiations.
Since then, Trump has taken to social media to post images – including a cartoon – of himself firing Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell. He then went on to opine about tariffs on moving pictures and parlor furniture. He confidently asserts that the Democrats’ appropriations bill—which includes additional health-care funding and other provisions—will be dead on arrival in the Senate. He makes this claim boldly and he backs it up.
In a recent radio statement, Trump said it’s his view that negotiating with Democrats is pointless at this stage. It will get him nothing in return. • “Negotiating with Democrats provides zero upside at this point,” he said. He doubled down on this position as the September deadline draws near.
As the political season begins to heat up, Republican leaders like Senator John Thune of South Dakota are denouncing the rising discord.
“It’s all about President Trump and the Democrats needing to pick a fight to satisfy their far left political base, far left activist organizations who are the tail wagging the dog right now.” – Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for an end to Trump’s “anti-democratic lawlessness,” and sheared off a sharp attack. He contends that the former president is avoiding accountability for his role in the shutdown crisis.
“He is in the presidential witness protection program — no one can find him when it comes to the government shutdown issue, because he knows he’s responsible for having caused it.” – House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
As political tensions mount, Trump has voiced plans to end the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, indicating a multifaceted approach to governance amidst the shutdown crisis. With 750,000 federal employees facing potential furloughs, the stakes are high for both parties as they navigate these turbulent waters.