President Donald J. Trump made one thing crystal clear on Sunday: he’s not about to be bullied by Democrats who are trying to use the government shutdown to score political points. During an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes, Trump said he “won’t be extorted” into cutting deals that reward bad behavior — and who can blame him?
Democrats have refused to reopen the government for weeks, holding out for yet another bailout of Obamacare in the form of extended health care subsidies. Trump, in his trademark fashion, isn’t budging. “I think they have to [vote to reopen],” he said. “And if they don’t, it’s their problem.” In other words: stop crying and start governing.
The shutdown, now stretching into its sixth week, has hit millions of Americans — federal workers, air traffic controllers, and SNAP recipients among them. But let’s get one thing straight: Democrats could end it today. They’ve voted 13 times against reopening the government. Why? Because they’d rather hold 42 million Americans hostage to force Trump’s hand on a policy that’s already failed.
The president isn’t playing along. He’s instead calling for Republicans to get tougher, pushing for the end of the Senate filibuster so that the GOP can pass what the country actually needs — without the constant obstruction of the left. “If we end the filibuster, we can do exactly what we want,” Trump said. And he’s right. The filibuster is the Democrats’ favorite shield when they’re out of power and a weapon when they’re in it.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, are doing what they do best — fearmongering and blaming everyone but themselves. Jeffries even accused the administration of “weaponizing hunger,” as if the same party that spends trillions of dollars annually can’t figure out how to keep the lights on without another round of socialist handouts.
Let’s not forget: the Affordable Care Act, which Democrats are so desperate to protect, is the same broken system that sent premiums soaring and gutted the middle class. Trump called it “terrible,” and he’s absolutely right. The promise of “affordable” care turned out to be anything but.
Despite the pressure, Trump remains focused on fixing what’s broken, not caving to extortion. He’s signaling that once Democrats stop their tantrum and vote to reopen the government, then Republicans can work on healthcare reform that actually helps Americans instead of bankrupting them.
The Democrats’ strategy is simple — hurt the country, blame the president, and hope voters are too distracted to notice who’s holding the match. But Trump isn’t playing their game. He’s standing firm, refusing to let the left exploit federal workers and families just to push their failing policies.
As the standoff continues, one thing’s clear: Trump isn’t backing down. He’s been here before, he’s won before, and he’s reminding Washington of something it desperately needs to relearn — leadership means standing your ground, not selling your soul. ??
