President Donald Trump is playing a different game this time, watching from the sidelines as a government shutdown unfolds and Congress takes center stage in a bitter funding dispute.
According to Fox News, the current partial shutdown stems from a deadlock between Senate Republicans and Democrats over healthcare provisions, a stark contrast to the border wall fight that defined the 35-day shutdown in Trump's first term. This time, the White House isn't the primary target of public frustration.
Instead, the spotlight falls on Capitol Hill, where a temporary spending bill to keep the government open through Nov. 21 failed to pass despite some Democratic support. The House approved the measure in September, but Senate Democrats largely rejected it, falling short of the needed 60 votes on Tuesday.
Fast forward to Tuesday, and the Senate couldn't muster the 60 votes needed to pass the bill, despite three Democrats crossing party lines to support it.
Republicans are pointing fingers at Democrats, accusing them of pushing for healthcare benefits for unauthorized migrants through provisions that would undo parts of Trump's earlier tax and policy reforms, which tightened Medicaid rules for noncitizens.
Democrats, meanwhile, are holding firm on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of next year, refusing to budge on what they see as a critical lifeline.
Unlike the 35-day shutdown during his first term, where Trump was front and center battling over billions for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, this time he's keeping his powder dry.
Back then, he eventually relented under pressure, signing a deal to reopen the government without the wall funding he demanded, but now he seems content to let Congress slug it out.
Political observer Kristin Tate noted, "By staying relatively quiet right now, President Trump is allowing Democrats to 'own' the shutdown." Her take rings true—Trump's low profile shifts the narrative to Democratic obstinance over a spending bill many see as reasonable.
Adding to this perspective, Tate also said, "The Democrats will ultimately bear most of the political consequences of the shutdown." If public frustration mounts, her prediction could hit the mark, especially as moderate Democrats already show signs of breaking ranks.
The White House, for its part, isn’t mincing words, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson stating on Monday, "The Democrats can reopen the government at any time." That’s a sharp jab, framing the opposition as the sole roadblock to normalcy.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Tuesday that the shutdown likely won’t drag on, though he acknowledged tough choices like layoffs might be necessary to minimize public hardship.
Trump himself weighed in via social media on Wednesday, urging Republicans to seize the moment to trim federal "waste and fraud" for billions in savings—a classic MAGA call to action.
Behind the scenes, the administration isn’t idle; the Office of Management and Budget directed agencies in September to prepare for potential staff reductions if funding lapses, signaling a hardline approach to shrinking the federal workforce.
As thousands of federal workers face job uncertainty, with Trump noting layoffs are already underway, the human cost of this political chess game is becoming painfully clear—yet Congress remains gridlocked over policy riders that could have been negotiated without this chaos.
