Democrats Trapped by Decades of Messaging on Government Shutdowns
2nd October 2025
The “Schumer Shutdown” is here and Democrats have essentially reversed 30 years of messaging about the dangers of closing the government.
Forty-three Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Shumer, D-N.Y., voted against a stopgap budget measure Tuesday night that triggered a government shutdown. This came over protests by congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump.
It’s a remarkable reversal for America’s two major political parties.
In past shutdown debates, Republicans have typically been in the more difficult position of demanding budget cuts while Democrats blast them for not supporting X, Y, and Z. In many cases, there has been a Democrat in the White House who could help congressional Democrats craft any narrative they chose about the catastrophic consequence of the government closing.
They’ve typically portrayed the ensuing government shutdowns as something akin to the apocalypse.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., posted a montage of Democrats arguing during past budget battles, saying that shutting down the government would be devastating to the average American.