The Democrats' government shutdown stunt has just collapsed spectacularly. After 21 days of political theater, Chuck Schumer's supposed grand strategy to hurt Trump politically has become his own greatest liability. This article will explore how President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson masterfully outmaneuvered the Democrats, what polling reveals about this political earthquake, and why more and more Democrats are now quietly breaking ranks.
- Chuck Schumer orchestrated the shutdown, aiming to damage Trump and Republicans, but ironically, it backfired and increased Trump's popularity.
- Polls show a majority of Americans blame Democrats for the shutdown, with Trump's approval rating rising and Democratic strategy failing.
- Democrats are realizing the shutdown is a losing issue, prompting some to break ranks and call for reopening the government.
Chuck Schumer, the single most unpopular senator on Capitol Hill with just a 17 percent approval rating, orchestrated this current government shutdown, refusing repeatedly to vote for the very continuing resolution he so enthusiastically supported just months ago in March. UpChuck orchestrated this shutdown with one goal: manufacture a crisis to damage President Trump and the Republicans politically. Ironically, and to the Democrats’ horror, the opposite happened. Trump's net approval rating has increased by one point during the shutdown, while blame directed at him dropped from 61% during the 2018-2019 shutdown to just 48% today—a stunning 13-point decline. The very shutdown orchestrated to hurt Trump ended up helping him! Far from being politically damaged, Trump has gained in popularity. This is the very definition of a backfire.
Every poll shows that an overwhelming majority, more than 60 percent, want the Democrats to open the government before they deliberate over the health care issues they’re holding out over. Consistently, voter sentiment tends to blame the party making demands for shutdowns. Harvard-Harris found that 62 percent of respondents believe Republicans will come out victorious. The party making the demands ultimately gets the blame. It's really that simple. President Trump’s approval numbers have gone up since the shutdown.
The Democrats' fatal miscalculation was assuming this would play out like previous shutdowns. They expected legacy media to sway public opinion in their favor. However, we now live in a different society, known as the Network Society, where information is decentralized and democratized. People can fact-check the legacy media, which no longer has the influence it once did. The Democrats can't win this on media bias anymore.
Then there's the No Kings fiasco. Democrats delayed reopening the government to rally people for "No Kings" rallies, which ironically proved they don’t live under authoritarian rule. The rallies barely mentioned the shutdown, focusing instead on Trump and immigration enforcement. Trump himself reminded protesters that if he were king, the government would never have shut down. Chuck Schumer stood before a DC crowd but never championed the shutdown, revealing the Democrats' retreat from this losing issue.
Scott Adams said it beautifully: "Trump already won the government shutdown battle, at least with the public. Now Democrats need a face-saving way to back down and reopen". Trump is riding a political wave and might enjoy the shutdown, wielding power like a king. He could even keep the government shut for another week or two after the Democrats beg to reopen it.
Cracks in Schumer's coalition are becoming more visible. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire now supports opening the government, joining three other Democrat senators breaking ranks. Republicans have remained unified, with 52 of 53 Republican senators backing immediate reopening. Rand Paul, being the libertarian he is, is the lone vote against it, with no coalition or coherent vision.
If Schumer does not capitulate this week, Trump and budget director Russ Vought are prepared to deploy "stronger measures." They have all the political leverage. Trump has announced cutting Democrat programs permanently, including a $20 billion infrastructure project in New York Schumer spent 15 years securing. They’re freezing billions for the Chicago transit system and cutting billions in Blue State clean energy projects. They’re considering eliminating 10,000 federal jobs. Trump and Russ Vought are having a blast.
This shutdown reveals the fundamental difference between Trump's second term and traditional Republican governance. Previous GOP leaders would have negotiated and compromised. Trump uses executive authority to advance his agenda, making Democrats' obstruction increasingly costly to their own priorities. The Democrats gambled that public opinion would turn against Trump, but Americans see the shutdown as a desperate attempt by progressives to preserve benefits for illegal immigrants. Chuck Schumer's surrender isn't just imminent—it's inevitable. The only question is how much political capital Democrats will burn before acknowledging what the polling already shows: they've already lost.
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