The shutdown is the 11th in U.S. history, resulting in curtailment of government services, the second-longest, the third under President Donald Trump, and the first since the 2018–2019 shutdown. As of October 2025[update], it is the longest full government shutdown in U.S. history.[1][a]
The failure of Congress to agree on funding legislation leads to a government shutdown when the previous funding term ends.[2]:28-29 In a government shutdown, federal agencies continue work categorized as "essential", but federal employees and contractors are furloughed and not immediately paid. The authority to determine the work that continues is vested in the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, although the President has broad authority over this process.[4]
Ahead of a lapse of government funding expected to occur in March 2025, Democrats in Congress largely objected to funding the government as President Donald Trump moved to assume control of the extent of its operations, including eliminating federal funding and firing government workers. Hours before the deadline, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer announced that he would support a continuing resolution to fund the government through September, arguing that Trump's efforts were being halted in the courts—which could be impeded by a shutdown; that a shutdown would give greater authority to the Department of Government Efficiency; and that market uncertainty would mount over a shutdown in addition to imminent widespread tariffs, causing ambiguity over the responsibility of economic fear.[5]Schumer's support incited other Democrats to vote in favor of a temporary continuing resolution proposed by Republicans, allowing the measure to pass and averting a shutdown. Schumer was criticized by several Democrats for his move, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.[6]
The continuing resolution Republicans passed set a deadline through the remainder of that year's fiscal budget term, expected to conclude at the end of September. In July, Republicans approved the Trump administration's request to rescind US$9 billion allocated for foreign aid and public broadcasting. Washington senator Patty Murray, the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, told The New York Times that the "partisan rescissions bill" complicated efforts for Democrats to work with Republicans on a funding bill for the next year's budget, set to begin in October. That month, senators opened debate on a series of appropriations bills, beginning with military construction projects and veterans programs. Democrats indicated that they would seek to avert a shutdown in budget discussions.[5] In July, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said, "The appropriations process has to be less bipartisan", said the White House would not abide by bipartisan spending agreements, and reiterated that he believed the Impoundment Control Act was unconstitutional. The remarks drew condemnation from Democrats and pushback from Senate Majority Leader John Thune.[9]
By August, Senators approved an initial set of spending bills, including US$433 billion for veterans programs, US$19.8 billion for military construction and family housing projects, US$27.1 billion for agricultural programs, and US$7.1 billion to continue the operations of Congress and legislative agencies.[10] Although the bills passed before an anticipated recess that month for the first time since 2018, the objections mounted, indicating further resistance ahead of the deadline. Louisiana senator John Kennedy unsuccessfully sought a two percent reduction in the agriculture bill. Kennedy later called for a separate vote on the legislative branch funding bill to state his opposition to the funding level. A fourth bill that would have funded the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, and science agencies faltered after opposition from Maryland senator Chris Van Hollen. The legislative branch funding bill largely kept the Government Accountability Office's funding levels consistent, despite the agency's conflict with the Trump administration; the House of Representatives's bill halved the office's budget.[10] In September, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries discussed extending government funding into November or December.[11] A continuing resolution emerged as a likely possibility to resolve the impasse, though the cession of Congress's authority to determine spending concerned several Democrats.[12]
Impasse and deadlock
The Trump administration, along with several fiscal hawks, advocated for funding the government through January. Conversely, Democrats and some Republicans sought a deal through November to ensure additional time for a compromise. The administration's move to cancel $5 billion in foreign aid through a pocket rescission intensified the impasse. House and Senate appropriators suggested a bill to fund the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and congressional operations for a year with a short-term extension for other agencies.[13] Representative Andy Harris, the chair of the Freedom Caucus, expressed reluctant support for a temporary bill proposed by Representative Tom Cole, the chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, so long as Cole had the votes.[14] The discussions collided with the Trump administration's request to bolster security for Supreme Court justices and increase funding for the Marshals Service after the assassination of Charlie Kirk.[15] Lower-court judges also sought security of their own.[16]
Democrats sought to force Republicans to extend healthcare insurance subsidies, set to expire at the end of the year.[17] Trump publicly told Republicans not to "bother dealing with them"[18] and to support Cole's "clean" continuing resolution;[19] additional funding for lawmakers after Kirk's death delayed the bill's release.[14] On September 16, Johnson released the spending bill without insurance subsidies, expecting Democrats to balk and cause a shutdown or to support a bill that retained the status quo, increasing health insurance premiums for Affordable Care Act recipients.[20] Representatives Thomas Massie and Victoria Spartz and Senator Rand Paul, all fiscally conservative Republicans, opposed the bill over its spending additions and a narrow timeline for a larger appropriations bill.[21]
Senator Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican, also initially opposed the bill because she believed it could not pass the Senate.[22] Democrats opposed the bill[23] and proposed a stiff counteroffer to increase health spending by $1 trillion.[24] The Republican plan passed the House on September 19 but failed in the Senate, with 44 voting in favor to 48 against. John Fetterman was the only Senate Democrat to vote for the plan, while two Republicans voted against it. The same day, the Democratic plan failed in the Senate on party lines, with a vote of 47 to 45.[25]
Schumer and Jeffries requested a meeting with Trump after the votes failed.[26] Trump abruptly canceled the meeting, calling their demands "unserious",[27] but met with the Democrats, joined by Johnson and Thune, in the Oval Office one day before the deadline;[28] the meeting was Jeffries's first with Trump and Trump's first invitation of Democrats to the White House.[28] The meeting failed to yield an agreement.
On September 30, 2025, hours before the shutdown began, the Senate voted again on the Democratic and Republican plans. The Democratic plan again failed on party lines (47 in favor, 53 against).[43] All Republicans except Paul, along with Democrats Catherine Cortez Masto and John Fetterman, as well as Angus King,[b] an independent who caucuses with Democrats, voted for the Republican plan, which thus failed 51–47. Despite receiving a majority of votes in the Senate, the Republican plan failed to pass because it could not overcome a 60-vote filibuster. After the votes, the Office of Management and Budget directed agencies to execute their shutdown plans.[44]
Use of rescissions had been dormant since Bill Clinton's presidency,[51] but in early 2025 Trump's Department of Government Efficiency made large cuts to appropriated parts of the federal government, including reducing foreign aid and public broadcasting.[52] The Trump administration revived rescissions as a way to permanently codify DOGE's cuts, proposing a rescissions bill to Congress[53] that became law on July 24 as the Rescissions Act of 2025.[54]
Trump's use of rescissions became a major hurdle in budget negotiations: Chuck Schumer expressed a fear that anything the Democratic Party negotiated to include in a budget would be undone by rescission.[55][56][57]
Timeline of the shutdown
This is the 21st funding gap and 11th government shutdown in modern U.S. history, the third to occur in a Trump presidency, and the first to occur since a government shutdown that lasted from December 2018 to January 2019 during the first Trump administration.[3] Congressional activity centered on dueling Democratic and Republican proposals to end the shutdown. Until October 13, the Senate held continuous votes on the Democratic-led continuing resolution. It failed on party-line votes.[58] This is the second longest shutdown, after the 2018–2019 shutdown.
Since the government shutdown, the Senate has continuously held votes on the House-passed continuing resolution. The votes have failed mostly along party lines. Democratic Senators Fetterman, Cortez Masto and King have broke from their party to vote for the resolution. Republican Senator Paul broke from his party to vote against the resolution.[59][60][61]
On October 1, during a third vote to end the shutdown, senators held preliminary negotiations on the Senate floor. They discussed shortening the length of the Republican planned continuing resolution to use that time to come to a more significant agreement. No agreement was made. Both versions failed, by votes of 55–45 and 47–53, respectively.[64] Senators of both parties called the preliminary negotiation a "productive discussion".[65]
Thursday, October2
On October 2, furloughed nonpartisan Department of Education staff alleged that their out-of-office email replies had been manipulated to blame Democrats for the shutdown. Historically, nonpartisan staff have followed a template for out-of-office responses during government shutdowns. The manipulated responses would be considered a violation of the Hatch Act.[66]
Friday, October3
On October 3, after a fourth failed vote of 54–44 in the Senate, Speaker Johnson announced he would extend the House recess for another week.[67]
Monday, October6
On October 6, Trump claimed talks were underway with Democrats, which Schumer said was not true.[68]
Wednesday, October8
On October 8, Representative Jennifer Kiggans proposed legislation to pay members of the military during the shutdown and urged House leadership to pass the bill, which has over 140 co-sponsors. Johnson told reporters that the House would not vote again because it had already approved a continuing resolution through November 21.[69]
Friday, October10
On October 10, Johnson extended the House recess to October 19,[70] but the recess did not end on October 19.
Thursday, October16
On October 16, the Senate failed to pass the House-passed spending bill for a tenth time. The Senate was set to be on recess until October 20.[71]
Monday, October20
As of October 20, Johnson has said the House is operating on a "48-hour notice" to return.[72]
Tuesday, October21
President Trump and Senate Republicans met at the White House, with Trump stating that they wouldn't "be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs". Trump also told Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries he would only meet with them after the shutdown ends.[73]
Wednesday, October22
The shutdown officially became the second longest in United States history at 22 days.[73]
Thursday, October23
Members of the Senate voted on Senator Ron Johnson's Shutdown Fairness Act, which would provide pay for troops and "excepted employees" during the shutdown. Senator Chris Van Hollen introduced a similar bill that would cover pay for all federal employees.[74]
Johnson's bill failed to pass after a vote of 54-45 failed to meet the 60-vote threshold.[75]
Saturday, October25
President Trump announced a private donor would provide $130 million in a gift to cover pay for the US military, sparking ethics concerns due to the Antideficiency Act. It was later reported by the New York Times, that the donor was identified as Timothy Mellon.[76][77]
Monday, October27
US Department of Agriculture announced via its website that no SNAP benefits for November 2025 would be issued due to the shutdown.[78]
House Speaker Mike Johnson argued against critics of his continued shutdown of the House, stating that House Republicans were hard at work in their districts during the House's month long shutdown.[80]
Impact
On employees
Elected officials
Adelita Grijalva was elected to represent Arizona's 7th congressional district in a special election on September 23, after the death of the previous representative, her father Raúl Grijalva. As of October 27, Grijalva has not been sworn in to the House of Representatives, and the House has not had a regular legislative session since passing a funding bill on September 19. Speaker Mike Johnson has blamed the delay on the government shutdown. He also has referenced the three-week delay in 2022 by then Speaker Nancy Pelosi in swearing in Representatives Pat Ryan and Joe Sempolinski, who were elected during Congress's annual August recess that year.[81] On October 21, it was announced that Arizona's Attorney General Kris Mayes had sued Johnson in an effort to force him to swear Grijalva in, claiming that Johnson's delay was causing the district to be subject to taxation without representation. Johnson has waved off concerns about Grijalva being sworn in and being able to effectively do her job, although she cannot access government computer systems, use her office effectively, or access parts of the Capitol without an escort.[82]
Members of Congress are guaranteed pay during government shutdowns due to a permanent appropriation passed in 1983, allowing their pay to not be renewed annually compared to other departments. The average member is paid an annual salary of $174,000, with the Speaker of the House earning $223,500 and both party leaders in each chambers and the president pro tempore of the Senate earning $193,400. Previous shutdowns required Congress to approve back pay for employees, but a 2019 law made it mandatory, except for contractors not included in the law.[87]
According to a Bipartisan Policy Center review of the shutdown about 830,000 federal workers have been continuously paid during the shutdown, while over 1 million are going unpaid. Senate staffers were told on October 17, that they would not receive a paycheck on October 20 or for the rest of the shutdown, the Judicial branch also announced that they had run out of funding to cover full operations.[88]
During an October 7 meeting with reporters, Speaker Johnson said he supported back pay for government workers. A draft memo from the Office of Management and Budget reported by Axios floated the idea of not back paying workers after the shutdown ended.[89] An updated version of the memo suggested that either the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act had been misinterpreted or the language is deficient. The memo indicates that Congress is responsible for providing the back pay by including it in any bill passed to fund the government.[90][91]
About two weeks into the shutdown, Business Insider reported that many federal workers and members of the military were already dipping into savings and concerned about covering basic needs and medical costs.[92]
Due to the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, which was passed after the 2018–2019 government shutdown, federal employees and military Armed Forces are ensured back pay after the shutdown ends.[83] While speaking with reporters on October 8, Speaker Johnson said he was not open to moving forward a bill to pay troops if the shutdown continued into the next week. Without the passing of such a bill, military service members would miss a paycheck, something that has not happened during modern times.[94]
A little over a week into the shutdown it was reported that there was an increase in military members and families relying on food pantries, as service members' spouses are usually either unemployed due to frequent relocation or also employed by the federal government. A military-based food pantry in Kansas saw a 300% increase in traffic, while the Armed Service YMCA, a military nonprofit, saw a 30% increase in food requests across all locations and a 34% increase at its Killeen, Texas location.[95]
On October 11, Trump directed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to pay service members using funds previously earmarked for other projects. A Department of Defense official later said that $8 billion of unobligated research and development funds would be used to pay military personnel. The Director of Budget and Entitlement Policy at the Cato Institute has raised concerns about the broad reach and legality of the directive.[96]
In mid-October, Vice President JD Vance told US Marines that Trump would do "everything he can" to ensure that military personnel continue to receive their salaries despite the shutdown.[97] On October 24, the Pentagon announced it would accept a private $130 million donation to help pay military personnel.[98][99] Ethics concerns were raised about the decision to accept the gift, with many indicating that the donation may have violated the Antideficiency Act which bars federal agencies from spending funds not appropriated by Congress. The New York Times also reported on October 26, that the private donor was identified as Timothy Mellon, heir of the Mellon banking family who is a long time Trump donor and who donated $50 million to Trumps super PAC during his 2024 election campaign.[77]
On Native Americans
The federal shutdown has varied effects on Native Americans and the tribal nations. Those with casinos, oil and gas leases, or other forms of independent revenue report that they believe they can operate for several months, while others more dependent on government funding and assistance were more concerned. Others raised concerns that the Trump administration would act on prior calls by Trump and Elon Musk for the General Services Administration to terminate leases held by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and other offices or terminate employees.[100]
Shortly after the shutdown was announced, the Navajo Nation announced that essential services would continue to be offered to members.[101]
Concern about the shutdown and its effects on the Federal Reserve's October 29 decision about the next interest rate were voiced during the shutdown, as key reports were not being generated during the shutdown. Additional concern was also raised about the potential reduction of the annualized real gross domestic product growth for the fourth quarter, as it was projected at 0.1%,[105] although much of that could be recouped, as has happened after previous shutdowns. But if Trump fires workers, rather than temporarily putting them on furlough—or doesn't pay many of them—the impact could be more substantial.[106] On October 6, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told reporters that each week of the shutdown could cost the U.S. economy about $15 billion.[107]
The absence of an extension to insurance subsidies threatened California's health insurance marketplace, the nation's largest.[111] On October 23, it was reported that many users of the Affordable Care Act had begun to see premium prices rise as open enrollment had begun on October 15 without any of the federal tax credits that formerly lowered consumer costs.[112][113]
USDA website notice regarding SNAP on October 27, 2025
The WIC program is expected to be paused.[83] The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is not expected to be affected, but a continued shutdown may deplete contingency funding, delaying payments.[108] The USDA has about $5 billion in SNAP contingency funding, or about 60% of a month in benefits according to the Center on Budgets and Policy Priorities. More than 41 million people participate in the program.[114] In October 2025, several states, including Pennsylvania, Texas, North Dakota, New York, New Jersey, and Nevada, notified recipients that SNAP benefits would pause until the federal shutdown ends.[115] By October 23, it was reported that at least 25 states had begun to notify participants that they would not receive November benefits due to the shutdown.[116] On October 27, the USDA posted a message on their website announcing that no benefits would be issued on November 1 due to the shutdown, along with commentary blaming the shutdown on the Democratic party.[78]
During the shutdown, food bank nonprofit organizations in Washington, D.C., and nationwide, such as Stronghold Food Pantry, Feeding America, and Capital Area Food Bank, reported extended queues at food banks in the Washington, D.C. area, Virginia, and Maryland, where many federal workers live.[117][118] After many states announced that SNAP and WIC benefits would not be issued for November, many food banks began to prepare for an influx of people set to lose the benefits.[119]
NASA
According to a September 29 shutdown plan released by NASA, 15,094 NASA civil servants have been furloughed, while 3,124 have been classified as exempted and continue working. The exempted workers include those needed for the operations of the International Space Station, those operating active satellite missions, and those working on the Artemis program. The shutdown will not affect preparations for the Artemis II crewed mission around the Moon, currently scheduled for February 2026.[120][121]
Service message from NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
According to a September 30 contingency plan by the Department of Interior, all national parks were to be left partially open during the shutdown, but any buildings that required staffing, such as visitor centers or sites such as the Washington Monument, would be closed to the public, with only restrooms open and trash collected as normal. Park roads, lookouts, trails and open-air memorials are expected to stay open with limited emergency services available to visitors. The plan is similar to the one adopted during the 2018–2019 government shutdown.[122][123]
Some states, such as West Virginia, have used state funding to keep their national parks open during the shutdown.[124] In some areas, guide services are seeing an influx of business as visitors are using the service as a stand-in for park rangers and workers. Additionally, private museums are seeing a boost in visitors because national parks and museums are closed, with the Mount Vernon estate reporting a 50% increase in visitors during the first two weeks of October.[125]
Conservationists, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the National Park Service have all issued warnings to the public to use caution or not to visit national parks during the shutdown due to concern about skeleton staffing making it difficult to assist in an emergency. Additional concern was raised about the mass layoffs shortly after Trump took office, which made many parks already short-staffed before the shutdown.[126] Locals, furloughed workers, and local organizations have worked together during the shutdown to keep national parks clean and well kept.[125]
Air travel still functions, but air traffic controller hiring, field training of air traffic controllers, facility security inspections and law enforcement assistance support are stopped.[93] Beginning on October 6, staffing shortages led to flight delays at various airports.[129] On October 7, it was reported that cities such as Nashville, Dallas, Chicago, and Newark were seeing high levels of delays due to the air traffic controller shortage. The Hollywood Burbank Airport control tower was unmanned for nearly six hours and then remotely manned due to shortages.[130] By October 8, airport staffing shortages led to delays reported at Boston, Burbank, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Nashville, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington.[129]
Kristi Noem video blaming Democrats for the shutdown
On October 15, it was reported that multiple airports were rejecting the use of a video provided by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the shutdown and the resulting impact on TSA operations. In the video, Noem says, "Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted", even though 95% of the department is required to work during the shutdown. Many airports reject the use of the video on the grounds that it violates their policies and regulations prohibiting political messaging at the airport, with some experts raising concerns about violations of the Hatch Act.[131][132]
Mass layoffs
On September 24, the Office of Management and Budget instructed federal agency heads to prepare reduction-in-force plans to be executed if the government were to shut down, reducing the government workforce permanently instead of temporarily furloughing staff.[133] If conducted, such layoffs could have drastic and far-reaching consequences, especially in land management and environmental agencies.[134] Democratic Congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries called it "intimidation".[135] One former OMB official and Congressman, James Walkinshaw, questioned whether preparing or conducting a reduction in force during a shutdown would be legal, but as the practice is unprecedented, an executive at the Partnership for Public Service could not predict how it would play out.[136]
On September 30, Trump told reporters that he was in favor of mass layoffs, saying, "We'd be laying off a lot of people that are going to be very affected, They're going to be Democrats" and "We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn't want."[137]
On October 15, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston issued a restraining order against the Trump administration after siding with the two unions. The order is to be used to stop the government from issuing any reduction-in-force notices and her decision included instructions not to enforce any notices already sent to any of the agencies that have employees the unions represent.[150]
On October 17, it was reported that the Trump administration had paused work on only a small number of those who were laid off to comply with Illston's order. The pause affected 465 Education Department employees, 102 Census Bureau employees, and more than 400 Department of Housing and Urban Development employees.[151]
Several Republican officials and organizations, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, the Senate Republican Conference, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, falsely accused[152][153][154] Democrats of demanding free health care for undocumented immigrants.[155] This is based on Republican claims—which independent reporters, analysts and oversight bodies have disputed or not substantiated at the scale claimed[156][157]—that there has been widespread fraud in Affordable Care Act enrollment.[158]
Representative Kevin Kiley of California was critical of the shutdown and House Speaker Johnsons continued efforts to keep the House closed, and has continued to work at the capitol in an effort to end the shutdown. Kiley told reporters that he was looking for "any and all constructive conversations" to end the shutdown, and that "Clearly, it's not working...Sometimes you have to work with people who have a different position in order to find common ground.".[159]
Trump administration
After the unsuccessful back-to-back votes, Trump told reporters that Democrats in the Senate "want to shut down the country", except John Fetterman, who voted for the Republican spending bill.[160] After his meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Trump posted a controversial deepfake, AI-generated video of them with Schumer's audio saying that Democrats "have no voters anymore, because of our woke, trans bullshit" and "if we give all these illegal aliens health care, we might be able to get them on our side so they can vote for us."[41] In an interview with Politico's Dasha Burns, Trump called Democrats "deranged".[161]
Before and during the shutdown, government websites and emails blamed Democrats and "the radical left" for it, actions ethics experts said were likely illegal.[162][137] Hours before the shutdown was set to begin, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's website warned, in a pop-up and a red banner, that the "radical left" would hurt the United States. The message elicited concerns that it could violate the Anti-Lobbying Act.[163][164] The Department of Health and Human Services encouraged its employees to set out-of-office email messages blaming the Democratic Party for the shutdown, which elicited fears that the employees could violate the Hatch Act by doing so.[165] In a statement, the department said: "Employees were instructed to use out-of-office messages that reflect the truth: Democrats have shut the government down."[166] At the Department of Education, employees' out-of-office messages were forcibly changed to political ones and they were unable to remove the partisan messaging:[167]
Thank you for contacting me. On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed HR 5371, a clean continuing resolution. Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of HR 5371 in the Senate which has led to a lapse in appropriations. Due to the lapse in appropriations I am currently in furlough status. I will respond to emails once government functions resume.
Trump posted that the shutdown was an "unprecedented opportunity" and that he would meet "with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut".[169][170] During the shutdown, the administration halted billions in approved funding largely going to states that voted for Harris, including $20 billion for public transport in New York City and Chicago.[171][172][173][174][175]
Democrats
Democrats proposed a constant livestream to discuss the shutdown.[176] The night before the shutdown, many politicians, including Representative Sarah McBride and Senator Andy Kim, posted on social media and told the media that their Republican counterparts were not in the Capitol to vote on the budget.[177][178] Representative Robert Garcia said the messages placed on government agency websites blaming Democrats for the shutdown violated the Hatch Act.[166] Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a town hall on CNN to discuss the shutdown.[179][180]
Former government officials
House Speaker Mike Johnson addresses the shutdown. (October 1, 2025)
In a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, over 35 former park superintendents urged the parks managed by the National Park Service to close to avoid damage by unsupervised visitors.[181]
Public opinion
In most surveys regarding US government shutdowns, Republicans have received more blame than Democrats, though a substantial portion of survey respondents said they weren't sure.
Pre-shutdown
A poll conducted by Data for Progress from September 5 to 7 asked likely voters whom they would blame for a potential shutdown at the end of the month. 27% of respondents thought Republicans in Congress would be responsible, 32% expected to blame Trump personally, and 34% placed the blame on Democrats in Congress.[183] Two days before the shutdown, a poll by Morning Consult indicated 45% of voters said they would blame Republicans and 32% said they would blame Democrats.[184]
In a September 22 to 27 poll by The New York Times and Siena University, 26% of respondents blamed the Trump and Republican Party for the shutdown, compared to 19% who blamed the Democratic Party and 33% who blamed both parties.[185] Another question asked whether Democrats should shut down the government if their demands were not met; 27% of respondents said yes and 65% no.[186]
In a September 30 poll by NPR, 38% of respondents blamed the Republican Party for the shutdown, compared to 27% who blamed the Democratic Party, 31% who blamed both parties, and 1% who blamed neither. Another NPR poll conducted days earlier, which controlled for political affiliation, indicated that while Democrats and Republicans were more likely to blame each other for a hypothetical shutdown, independent voters were most likely to blame both.[187]
In a poll conducted by KFF from September 23 to 29, 78% of respondents supported extending Affordable Care Act tax credits and 61% of respondents had heard little or nothing about the expiring subsidies.[188][189]
During the shutdown
An October 1 poll from The Washington Post indicated that 47% of respondents believed that Trump and Republicans in Congress were mainly responsible for the shutdown, compared to the 30% who blamed Democrats in Congress. This was consistent with polls regarding past shutdowns in the last 30 years, including the month-long shutdown during the first Trump presidency: according to polls, public opinion blamed Republicans more than Democrats with a difference of +10% or higher for every shutdown since 1995.[190]
An October 1–2 Harvard CAPS/Harris poll showed 65% of respondents felt the Democrats should accept a continuing resolution at current spending levels, but the same poll showed 53% of respondents blamed Republicans.[191] An October 1–3 CBS News poll via YouGov asked a multitude of questions. 39% of respondents blamed Trump and Republicans for the shutdown, compared to the 30% who blamed Democrats and 31% who blamed both parties equally. Respondents felt that Trump, Republicans, and Democrats were handling the shutdown poorly at 52%, 52%, and 49%, respectively.[192]
An October 2–7 Reuters/IPSOS poll found that 67% of respondents said that Republicans deserved a fair amount of the blame for the shutdown, compared to 63% who blamed Democrats. About 63% of respondents said that Trump deserved a fair amount of blame.[193]
An October 9-13 AP-NORC poll found that nine in ten adults felt the federal shutdown was at least a "minor" problem. Democrats were more concerned, with 69% sayng the shutdown was a major problem compared to 37% of Republicans. Over half the respondents, 58%, blamed the shutdown on both Trump and the Republicans, with Congressional Democrats blamed by 54%.[194]
Operational criticism
When the Trump administration rolled out spending freezes across the entire federal government, fiscal and monetary analyst Nathan Tankus commented that the freeze was "the most dramatic event ever" in the annals of constitutional law on fiscal policy in the United States, arguing that the Oval Office's pertinent executive orders essentially give the president "far greater control" over Congress's authority to spend.[195]
He delineates the "extremely unique" legal architecture of the separation because financing authority and spending authority, extant in the United States—unlike what exists in parliamentary systems whereby any legislation that authorizes a spending simultaneously authorizes the financing of that spending. In countries with a parliamentary system, the government can "fall apart" or even lose its mandate to govern if it's unable to pass its yearly budget through parliament.[196] In the U.S., tax revenue typically goes into the general fund,[197] an accounting fact that does not translate to the government spending any additional money. After presenting the mechanics of the disbursement system in place for realizing approved appropriations, he concludes that, in his view, while the Trump administration has been "circumspect and legalistic" regarding spending without appropriations, it has also been "brazen" in not honoring congressional orders to spend.[196]
↑ Gold, Michael (September 30, 2025). "U.S. Begins Shutdown That Could Lead to Mass Layoffs and Service Cuts". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2025. Shortly after the Senate failed to pass a measure to fund the federal government, the White House's Office of Management and Budget issued a memo directing executive branch agencies to "execute their plans for an orderly shutdown."
↑ Zeidenstein, Harvey G. (1978). "The reassertion of Congressional power: New curbs on the President". Political Science Quarterly. 93 (3): 393–409. doi:10.2307/2149531. JSTOR2149531.
↑ Walker, Amy Schoenfeld; Khurana, Malika; Zhang, Christine (June 22, 2025). "What remains of U.S.A.I.D.?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 22, 2025.
↑ Hubbard, Kaia (September 29, 2025). "Lessons of March funding fight color Democrats' shutdown approach". CBS News. Archived from the original on September 29, 2025. The GOP also approved a rescissions package that clawed back congressionally approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, which Democrats say has increased distrust that funding agreements will be honored.
↑ Watson, Kathryn (September 29, 2025). "Schumer after meeting with Trump: 'Still large differences between us'". CBS News. Archived from the original on September 29, 2025. Schumer said Democrats and the White House have 'very large differences' on health care and concerns that Republicans and the White House would undo approved government funding through rescissions.
↑ Watson, Kathryn (September 29, 2025). "Schumer says there was a 'possible division' between GOP leaders and Trump in their conversation". CBS News. Archived from the original on September 29, 2025. Schumer said he and Jeffries particularly raised the need to extend the Affordable Care Act's enhanced health insurance tax credits and the concern that the threat of rescissions and impoundments—two controversial strategies for the Trump administration to avoid spending money appropriated by Congress—make negotiations impossible.
↑ @realDonaldTrump (October 2, 2025). "Truth Details". Truth Social. Archived from the original on October 2, 2025. I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent. I can't believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DJT
↑ "U.S. Department of Transportation Statement on Review of New York's Discriminatory, Unconstitutional Contracting Processes | US Department of Transportation". United States Department of Transportation (Press release). October 1, 2025. Archived from the original on October 1, 2025. WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation issued the following statement: USDOT issued an interim final rule (IFR) barring race- and sex-based contracting requirements from federal grants. Secretary Duffy's position on the DBE program is clear – subsidizing infrastructure contracts with taxpayer dollars based on discriminatory principles is unconstitutional, counter to civil rights laws, and a waste of taxpayer resources. USDOT issued letters to New York to inform them that their two mega projects – the 2nd Avenue Subway and Hudson Tunnel – are under administrative review to determine whether any unconstitutional practices are occurring. The Department is focusing on these projects because they are arguably the largest infrastructure initiatives in the Western Hemisphere, and the American people want to see them completed quickly and efficiently. Until USDOT's quick administrative review is complete, project reimbursements cannot be processed, including a $300 million disbursement for the 2nd Avenue Subway. The remaining federal funding for these projects totals nearly $18 billion. Thanks to the Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries shutdown, however, USDOT's review of New York's unconstitutional practices will take more time. Without a budget, the Department has been forced to furlough the civil rights staff responsible for conducting this review. This is another unfortunate casualty of radical Democrats' reckless decision to hold the federal government hostage to give illegal immigrants benefits.
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