US shutdown lingers on, Republicans and Democrats fight it out on social media

There seems to be no resolution in sight as the US government shutdown entered its third day Friday and both Republicans and Democrats sharpening their knives and attacks on each other. Republican leaders laid all the blame for shutdown on Democrats. They said they won’t negotiate and that Democrats must accept the short-term bill to reopen the government and buy time for a larger funding package. “They have taken hostage the federal government and, by extension, the American people, who are the only losers in this,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune at a press conference with House Speaker Mike Johnson in the Capitol on Friday. Thune said the Senate will not be in session over the weekend and that senators will return to Washington on Monday, which means the shutdown will drag into next week.

‘Donald Trump and Republicans own this shutdown’

Democrats say they refuse to give their votes for nothing after the bill was written without their input. They feel validated as four recent national polls show Americans blaming President Donald Trump and Republicans more than they blame Democrats for the shutdown. “Donald Trump and the Republicans own this shutdown,” Schumer said on X.

“It’s day three of the Trump shutdown because Donald Trump and Republicans insist on raising Americans’ health care premiums and kicking millions off their insurance,” Schumer said Friday on the Senate floor.

The White House defended President Donald Trump’s continued use of social media to troll Democrats, threatening targeted cuts and posting deepfake videos.

In one post, Trump shares an AI-generated video of himself trolling House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries with a “TRUMP 2028” hat while they appeared to negotiate in the White House. Jeffries called the video “racist” and “bigoted” and blamed Trump for the shutdown.

‘Even MAGA voters siding with Democrats on Obamacare’

However, some reports citing polls said that the Republicans are losing ground with their own base as even MAGA voters are siding with Democrats on preserving enhanced Obamacare subsidies.

On the other hand, the Democrats are sharing some old news clips that show Trump saying the fault of a government shutdown should lie with the president.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in collaboration with other Senate Democrats, compiled news clips of Trump in 2011 and 2013 talking about shutdowns and saying the president should be the leader in negotiations or else take the blame.

The clips are being widely shared on social media.

“If there is a shutdown ... I think it would be a tremendously negative mark on the president of the United States. He’s the one that has to get people together,” Trump says in one clip.

In a sharp contrast now, Trump, who is presiding over his fourth government shutdown as president, is blaming the Democrats for not budging on their demands. “They are shutting it down, we’re not shutting it down. We don’t want it to be shut down. Now, with that being said, we can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible ... like cutting vast numbers of people out,” Trump said while threatening layoffs and pinning the blame on Democrats.

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