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On Sunday, it became abundantly clear that Democrats have identified their primary target in the looming government shutdown: none other than the man affectionately dubbed TACO.
Consider the frequency with which Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) referenced the phrase “Trump shutdown” during his appearance on CNN’s State of the Union:
We had two bills on the floor Friday. Both failed, the Democratic bill and the Republican bill. And that’s because there has been no negotiation with the Republicans. There always used to be. When I was majority leader, for four years we didn’t ever shut down because we sat down with Republicans.
Thus, Hakeem Jeffries and I have formally requested to meet with Donald Trump, as that appears to be the only path to circumventing a Trump shutdown. The Republican leadership appears to be listening to Trump, while they are neglecting to engage in discussions with us.
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We stand ready to convene with him at any time and place to negotiate and avert a Trump shutdown. As it stands, this is effectively a Trump shutdown because he refuses to engage in dialogue with us. He is disregarding what the American people are asking for, which is a reduction in costs.
Public sentiment is against his tariffs and healthcare policies. When you adopt a “my way or the highway” approach, you are essentially inviting a shutdown. This is indeed a Trump shutdown unless he agrees to negotiate with us.
This strategic maneuver is aimed at infiltrating Trump’s thought process.
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Schumer was astute in avoiding a direct answer when asked if Democrats would vote against a bill to keep the government open next Tuesday. By sidestepping the question, he prevents the media from spinning a narrative that might blame Democrats for any resulting chaos in government operations.
Democrats are consistently reminding both the media and the American populace that it is the Republicans who are in the driver’s seat and, therefore, bear the responsibility for maintaining government functionality.
It seems that the Democratic strategy is to position President TACO in a room post-shutdown, ideally to extract concessions that align with their agenda.
Whether Trump and his party have caught on remains to be seen; they may be unwittingly walking into a trap. If they are wise, they will reconsider the ACA subsidy cuts and find a way out before facing severe backlash over the government shutdown.
What are your thoughts on the government shutdown? We invite you to share your opinion in the comments below.
