President Donald Trump sharply blamed Democrats for the “massive harm” caused by the government shutdown in remarks Wednesday, stating the impasse and resulting damage were directly the fault of the opposition. In a ceremony at the White House, he signed a funding bill that ended a 43-day shutdown and used the occasion to emphasise that Democrats, not his administration or Congress’s Republican leadership, carried the responsibility.
Latest developments
- The funding bill passed the House and Senate and was signed into law late Wednesday, formally ending the longest U.S. government shutdown in history.
- Trump listed flights cancelled, unpaid federal workers and broader economic damage, saying Democrats prolonged the stalemate for political leverage.
- The legislation funds the government through January 30, 2026, and restores pay for federal workers and funding to key agencies.
- While Trump laid blame squarely on Democrats, public-opinion polls indicate the blame remains divided, with a substantial share of Americans partly faulting Republicans or both sides.
Trump’s messaging and political implications
In the Oval Office ceremony, Trump delivered pointed remarks on who he says is responsible. He commented that the American people “must remember” that the shutdown was caused by the Democrats. He also pressed for changes to Senate procedure — such as altering or eliminating the filibuster — to prevent future shutdowns.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed the president’s message, asserting that Democrats knowingly let the shutdown drag on despite predictable pain.
The combination of signing the bill and blaming the Democrats sets a clear tone for Republicans heading into future budget fights: they plan to portray resuming government as a Democratic failure, not a GOP flaw.
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Why it matters
- The shutdown disrupted major federal services, including air travel and food assistance programmes. Officials estimate about 20,000 flights were delayed and over a million federal workers missed pay during the impasse.
- The deal did not include an extension of the enhanced insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act marketplaces — a top Democratic priority — meaning fights remain ahead.
- With the government reopened, recovery begins. But many analysts caution that service and staffing restoration will take days or weeks; the shutdown’s ripple effects will linger.
What’s next
Democrats say they will press forward with a discharge petition to force a floor vote on restoring the health-care subsidies that were left out of the funding deal. Meanwhile, Trump and the GOP are already converting the shutdown into political messaging, framing the event as a crisis caused by Democrats rather than Republicans. The next funding deadline looms and with it the question: will the blame game shift or deepen?
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