Democrats embrace a shutdown fight in a rare moment of unity against Trump

NEW YORK (AP) — On this, at least, the Democrats agree: It’s time to fight.

Whether far-left activists, Washington moderates or rural conservatives, Democratic leaders across the political spectrum are shrugging off the risks and embracing a government shutdown they say is needed to push back against President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress.

For Democrats, the shutdown fight marks a line in the sand born from months of frustration with their inability to stop Trump’s norm-busting leadership. And they will continue to fight, regardless of the practical or political consequences, they say.

“It’s a rare point of unification,” said Jim Kessler, of the moderate Democratic group Third Way.

“Absolutely there are risks,” he said. “But you’re hearing it from all wings of the Democratic Party: The fight is the victory. They want a fight. And they’re going to get one.”

As the shutdown begins, there are few signs of cracks across the Democratic Party’s diverse coalition.

Even progressive critics from the party’s activist wing are applauding Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who are insisting that any government spending package must extend health care subsidies that are set to expire at the year’s end. Trump, backed by the Republicans who control Congress, insists on supporting only a “clean” spending package that excludes the health care measure.

Trump blames ‘radical left’

The fight is already ugly as Trump uses his presidential bully pulpit — and taxpayer-funded government resources — to cast blame on the Democrats.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website on Tuesday welcomed all visitors with this message: “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people.”

The president himself posted on social media a deepfake video of Schumer implying that Democrats are fighting to give free health care to immigrants in the country illegally. The fake video, widely condemned as racist, depicted Jeffries with a Mexican sombrero and fake mustache.

In a press conference, Jeffries offered a harsh message to the president.

“The next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video. When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face,” the top House Democrat said.

‘I’d rather be us than them’

Privately, political operatives from both sides concede that government shutdowns are bad for both parties. But with Democrats dug in, the Trump administration appeared almost eager to shut down the government this time — having already threatened the mass firing of federal workers in the event of a shutdown.

And as the GOP blames its rivals in the other party, Democrats say they are confident voters understand that Trump’s party controls the White House and both chambers of Congress — and, therefore, Republicans will suffer more political consequences for the chaos in Washington.

“I think I’d rather be us than them in this fight,” veteran Democratic strategist James Carville said. “The incumbent party will suffer more.”

And yet Carville acknowledged that Democratic leadership in Washington had little choice but to take a hard line in the budget negotiations with Trump’s GOP. The party’s activist base, he said, demanded it.

Frustrated progressives have been screaming for months at Democratic leaders, who have limited power in Washington as the minority party, to use more creative tactics to stop Trump. They are getting their wish this week.

“They’re finally not just rolling over and playing dead,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder of the progressive activist group Indivisible. “Indivisible leaders are cheering them on.”

What do voters think?

The political impact, meanwhile, is hard to predict as each side presents conflicting data points.

On the ground in Virginia and New Jersey, which host governor’s elections in little more than a month, the issue was only just beginning to be a focus on the eve of the shutdown.

Virginia’s Republican candidate for governor, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, refused to answer directly when asked during a Tuesday interview with NBC whether she would tell Trump not to fire any more federal workers in a shutdown.

Instead, she encouraged her Democratic opponent, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, to tell Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner to vote for a “clean” spending bill.

“If we’re talking about across-the-board cuts, then again, we have to include Sens. Kaine and Warner in this. They have a part to play,” said Earle-Sears, ignoring a follow-up question about her message to Trump.

Virginia’s large population of federal workers is preparing for major disruption.

More than 147,000 federal workers live in Virginia, second only to California, according to data compiled last year by the Congressional Research Service. Many may soon stop being paid.

During the 35-day partial shutdown in Trump’s first term, 340,000 of the 800,000 federal workers at affected agencies were furloughed. The remainder were “excepted” and required to work with or without pay, although they all received retroactive pay once the shutdown was resolved.

Warner, the Virginia senator, said the impact on his state’s workforce — or even permanent firings — does not change Democrats’ strategy.

“I’ve been very amazed at the comments I’ve got from federal workers who are saying they’ve been terrorized enough, they want us to push back,” the Democratic senator said.

On the Senate floor, Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2-ranked senator in the Democratic caucus, offered a similar message.

“On the Democratic side,” he said, “we think this is a battle worth fighting.”

___

AP writers Olivia Diaz in Richmond, Va.; Mike Catalini in Trenton, N.J.; and Joey Cappelletti and Eunice Esomonu in Washington contributed.