Democrats embrace a shutdown fight in a rare moment of unity against
Trump
[October 01, 2025]
By STEVE PEOPLES
NEW YORK (AP) — On this, at least, the Democrats agree: It's time to
fight.
Whether far-left activists, Washington moderates or rural conservatives,
Democratic leaders across the political spectrum are shrugging off the
risks and embracing a government shutdown they say is needed to push
back against President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in
Congress.
For Democrats, the shutdown fight marks a line in the sand born from
months of frustration with their inability to stop Trump's norm-busting
leadership. And they will continue to fight, regardless of the practical
or political consequences, they say.
“It’s a rare point of unification,” said Jim Kessler, of the moderate
Democratic group Third Way.
“Absolutely there are risks,” he said. “But you’re hearing it from all
wings of the Democratic Party: The fight is the victory. They want a
fight. And they're going to get one."
As the shutdown begins, there are few signs of cracks across the
Democratic Party's diverse coalition.
Even progressive critics from the party's activist wing are applauding
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader
Hakeem Jeffries, who are insisting that any government spending package
must extend health care subsidies that are set to expire at the year's
end. Trump, backed by the Republicans who control Congress, insists on
supporting only a “clean” spending package that excludes the health care
measure.
Trump blames ‘radical left’
The fight is already ugly as Trump uses his presidential bully pulpit —
and taxpayer-funded government resources — to cast blame on the
Democrats.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development's website on Tuesday
welcomed all visitors with this message: “The Radical Left are going to
shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people
unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump
administration wants to keep the government open for the American
people.”
The president himself posted on social media a deepfake video of Schumer
implying that Democrats are fighting to give free health care to
immigrants in the country illegally. The fake video, widely condemned as
racist, depicted Jeffries with a Mexican sombrero and fake mustache.
In a press conference, Jeffries offered a harsh message to the
president.
“The next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through
a racist and fake AI video. When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to
my face," the top House Democrat said.
‘I’d rather be us than them'
Privately, political operatives from both sides concede that government
shutdowns are bad for both parties. But with Democrats dug in, the Trump
administration appeared almost eager to shut down the government this
time — having already threatened the mass firing of federal workers in
the event of a shutdown.
And as the GOP blames its rivals in the other party, Democrats say they
are confident voters understand that Trump's party controls the White
House and both chambers of Congress — and, therefore, Republicans will
suffer more political consequences for the chaos in Washington.
“I think I'd rather be us than them in this fight,” veteran Democratic
strategist James Carville said. “The incumbent party will suffer more.”
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Rep. Adriano Espailat D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference on the
impact of government shutdown on Americans health care, Tuesday,
Sept. 30, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam
Zuhaib)
And yet Carville acknowledged that Democratic leadership in
Washington had little choice but to take a hard line in the budget
negotiations with Trump's GOP. The party's activist base, he said,
demanded it.
Frustrated progressives have been screaming for months at Democratic
leaders, who have limited power in Washington as the minority party,
to use more creative tactics to stop Trump. They are getting their
wish this week.
“They’re finally not just rolling over and playing dead,” said Ezra
Levin, co-founder of the progressive activist group Indivisible.
“Indivisible leaders are cheering them on.”
What do voters think?
The political impact, meanwhile, is hard to predict as each side
presents conflicting data points.
On the ground in Virginia and New Jersey, which host governor's
elections in little more than a month, the issue was only just
beginning to be a focus on the eve of the shutdown.
Virginia's Republican candidate for governor, Lt. Gov. Winsome
Earle-Sears, refused to answer directly when asked during a Tuesday
interview with NBC whether she would tell Trump not to fire any more
federal workers in a shutdown.
Instead, she encouraged her Democratic opponent, Rep. Abigail
Spanberger, to tell Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner to vote
for a “clean” spending bill.
“If we're talking about across-the-board cuts, then again, we have
to include Sens. Kaine and Warner in this. They have a part to
play,” said Earle-Sears, ignoring a follow-up question about her
message to Trump.
Virginia's large population of federal workers is preparing for
major disruption.
More than 147,000 federal workers live in Virginia, second only to
California, according to data compiled last year by the
Congressional Research Service. Many may soon stop being paid.
During the 35-day partial shutdown in Trump’s first term, 340,000 of
the 800,000 federal workers at affected agencies were furloughed.
The remainder were “excepted” and required to work with or without
pay, although they all received retroactive pay once the shutdown
was resolved.
Warner, the Virginia senator, said the impact on his state's
workforce — or even permanent firings — does not change Democrats'
strategy.
“I’ve been very amazed at the comments I’ve got from federal workers
who are saying they’ve been terrorized enough, they want us to push
back," the Democratic senator said.
On the Senate floor, Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2-ranked senator in
the Democratic caucus, offered a similar message.
“On the Democratic side," he said, “we think this is a battle worth
fighting.”
___
AP writers Olivia Diaz in Richmond, Va.; Mike Catalini in Trenton,
N.J.; and Joey Cappelletti and Eunice Esomonu in Washington
contributed.
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