White House Misjudged Democrats’ Resolve as Government Shutdown Enters Second Month

At the start of the government shutdown, White House officials were confident the Trump administration was better positioned to outlast Democrats in a funding standoff. In early October, several senior officials even started an informal office pool, guessing how long the shutdown might last. No one predicted more than ten days.

That optimism has now turned into frustration inside the West Wing. According to a person close to the White House, the administration badly underestimated Democrats’ resolve, even as the shutdown’s effects have rippled through the economy halting paychecks, closing federal programs, and threatening food assistance for millions of Americans.

As the shutdown moves into its second month, President Donald Trump has grown visibly irritated. On Thursday, he renewed his call for Republicans to abolish the Senate filibuster a move he knows is politically impossible but one that reflects his growing anger with Democrats.

“Trump’s had it with these people,” said one person familiar with internal discussions. “Nobody thought it would last this long.”

When the shutdown began, the administration believed it had the upper hand. Officials expected the pressure from furloughed workers, closed federal offices, and warnings of job cuts from Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, would push Democrats to strike a quick deal.

That confidence grew when two moderate Democrats — Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) — and Independent Angus King broke ranks to vote with Republicans in the early days of the shutdown.

But as weeks passed, the situation only worsened. The shutdown is now poised to become the longest in U.S. history, surpassing even the record set during Trump’s first term. The impact is widespread: food aid under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will run out this weekend, civilian employees have missed paychecks, early childhood programs are set to lose funding, and air traffic delays are expected to intensify as Thanksgiving approaches.

Throughout the crisis, the White House has blamed Senate Democrats, accusing them of holding out over an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies and linking their stance to unpopular policies such as health care for undocumented immigrants and transgender inclusion in sports.

When that messaging failed to move public opinion, Trump turned to social media. On Truth Social, he wrote in all caps: “INITIATE THE NUCLEAR OPTION” — urging Senate Republicans to abolish the filibuster so legislation could pass with a simple majority.

Returning from what he called a “successful trip to Asia,” Trump appeared annoyed when reporters pressed him on the shutdown rather than foreign investments.

“The Democrats just don’t know what they’re doing,” Trump said Friday. “They’ve become crazed lunatics. All they have to do is say, ‘Let’s go. Let’s open up our country.’ It’s their fault.”

His demand to end the filibuster comes even as some Republicans signal cautious optimism about bipartisan negotiations in the Senate. Still, recent polling shows that most Americans blame the GOP for the shutdown’s continuation.

Despite the mounting pressure, Trump has no plans to invite Democrats to the Oval Office for talks. White House officials view such a meeting as a political concession they’re unwilling to make until Democrats agree to reopen the government.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson echoed that stance, saying that if “Democrats won’t do what’s best for the American people, the nuclear option will need to be invoked.”

Behind closed doors, aides acknowledge that Trump’s call to end the filibuster is largely symbolic. “He knows it’s not going to happen,” said another person close to the president.

Even Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) quickly dismissed the idea, reaffirming his support for keeping the filibuster in place.

Democratic leaders, meanwhile, say there’s been no real progress in negotiations. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Thursday that Republicans have offered “nothing new” on Democrats’ top priority — extending ACA subsidies to prevent a spike in health care costs.

The showdown intensified Friday when a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to use emergency funds to continue SNAP food benefits for November. The administration has yet to say whether it will comply or appeal the ruling.

“Trump’s decision to cut off SNAP was vindictive and heartless,” Schumer said afterward. “He was trying to manufacture a hunger crisis so he wouldn’t have to fix health care.”

As the standoff drags on, frustration is growing on both sides of the aisle — but inside the White House, one thing is clear: what began as a confident bet that Democrats would fold has turned into a political standoff Trump didn’t expect to lose.

• Sarah Beckstrom Killed in D.C. Ambush; Fellow Guardsman Andrew Wolfe in Critical Condition, Trump Announces
• U.S. Won’t Mark World AIDS Day for First Time Since 1988 – Biden Criticized as White House Floods Calendar With Trump-Era ‘Awareness’ Proclamations
• JD Vance Tries Comedy at Fort Campbell, Delivers a Thanksgiving ‘Turkey’ Joke That Bombs and Leaves Troops Baffled
• Trump Blasts ‘Evil’ Ambush After Two Guardsmen Shot in D.C.; Afghan National Named as Suspect
• Jay Caspian Kang Examines How the Epstein Scandal Could Shape U.S. Politics After Trump

Joseph Johnson

They say not everyone has the gift of gab to be able to talk about politics in the correct light - but Joseph is the perfect mix between a healthy critic, and a realist cynic. His unique personality works wonders at political discussions which are bound to cause a stir. He is an intellectual with many years of experience in the field, and his work is a reflection of his dedication to making political scenarios common knowledge among the citizens of the nation.