Five days into the government shutdown, Washington is still at a standstill — Republicans and Democrats locked in a standoff with no real negotiations in sight to reopen the government.
Both parties are playing a high-stakes game, convinced voters have swung their way. Democrats want to restore health insurance subsidies for millions of families, while President Trump is digging in — determined to hold spending steady and warning that federal employees could lose their jobs for good if the shutdown continues.
The showdown is unfolding against a backdrop of economic jitters. Growth has held up so far, but hiring is slowing and inflation is still biting. Trump’s tariffs have sent shockwaves through U.S. businesses, eroding trust in his economic stewardship. Everyone agrees the nearly $2 trillion deficit can’t last — but no one agrees on how to fix it, or who should pay the price.
Appearing on Sunday talk shows, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries revealed that Democrats haven’t spoken with Republican leaders since their White House meeting last Monday — a sign of just how stalled the talks have become.
“And unfortunately, since that point in time, Republicans, including Donald Trump, have gone radio silent,” Jeffries said. “And what we’ve seen is negotiation through deep fake videos, the House canceling votes, and of course President Trump spending yesterday on the golf course. That’s not responsible behavior.”
Asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper in a text about the shutdown negotiations, Trump sounded confident — but gave no hint of what’s actually happening behind the scenes.
“We’re winning — and cutting costs big time,” Trump boasted in a text message, according to CNN.
Trump’s team sees the shutdown as an opportunity to flex more control over the budget. Officials say they’re saving money by turning furloughs into permanent layoffs for thousands of federal workers — a drastic step no administration has ever tried before.
Trump built his celebrity on “The Apprentice” with the catchphrase “You’re fired.” But on Sunday, Republicans claimed the administration isn’t celebrating layoffs — even as it halts funding for infrastructure and energy projects in Democratic districts.
“We haven’t seen the details yet about what’s happening” with layoffs, House Speaker Mike Johnson said on NBC. “But it is a regrettable situation that the president does not want.”
White House economic chief Kevin Hassett said the administration is trying to steer clear of the layoffs it had hinted could start Friday — a deadline that came and went without any word from officials.
“We want the Democrats to come forward and to make a deal that’s a clean, continuing resolution that gives us seven more weeks to talk about these things,” Hassett said on CNN. “But the bottom line is that with Republicans in control, the Republicans have a lot more power over the outcome than the Democrats.”
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., defended his party’s stance on the shutdown on NBC, warning that higher health care costs could put insurance out of reach for “millions of Americans” in what he called a “crisis.”
Schiff pointed out that the Trump administration has been withholding funds approved by Congress, undercutting any value in Democrats’ budget negotiations since the White House can refuse to honor congressional priorities. The administration recently issued about $4.9 billion in “pocket rescissions” on foreign aid, a maneuver that blocked the spending without giving lawmakers time to weigh in before the fiscal year closed last month.
“We need both to address the health care crisis and we need some written assurance in the law, I won’t take a promise, that they’re not going to renege on any deal we make,” Schiff said.
The Sunday TV rounds showed Democrats and Republicans busy trading jabs — including viral internet memes — fueling concerns that good-faith negotiations may be slipping out of reach.
JD Vance called a video depicting Jeffries in a sombrero and thick mustache “just a joke,” though many saw it as mocking Mexican-Americans. Republicans insist that Democratic proposals would funnel health care dollars to undocumented immigrants, a point Democrats reject outright.
Immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status cannot access federal health programs — including insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
The real hurdle, though, is that Democrats and Republicans appear unable to engage in meaningful private talks.
Friday’s Senate vote on a Republican plan to reopen the government failed to reach the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster. Speaker Johnson announced that the House would halt legislative activity next week, a tactic that could force the Senate to take up the funding bill already approved by House Republicans.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune warned Sunday that the shutdown — including furloughs and unpaid work for federal employees — will persist as long as Democrats oppose the funding bill.
“They’ll get another chance on Monday to vote again,” said Thune on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“And I’m hoping that some of them have a change of heart,” he said.
