Democrats Push Trump Into Shutdown Talks, He Declines/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ As the government shutdown drags into its third week, Democrats increasingly argue that President Trump’s direct intervention is essential to break the deadlock. Yet Trump has shown little inclination to step into negotiations, instead focusing on foreign policy and culture issues. Republican leaders insist talks must wait until the government reopens.
Keyphrase + Quick Looks: Shutdown Talks Trump Involvement Quick Looks
- Democrats say Trump must engage to end shutdown
- Trump shows little interest, wants a clean extension
- Republicans refuse to negotiate until funding is secured
- Trump defers, focusing on ceasefire, Russia-Ukraine, and events
- House remains out of session; Senate departs stalled
- Federal workforce cuts and funding shifts underway
- Court rules some layoffs illegal, adding pressure
Deep Look
Democrats Say Trump Must Lead Shutdown Talks, but He Is Unwilling to Do So
WASHINGTON (AP) — Entering its third week, the U.S. federal government shutdown has produced mounting frustration in Congress. Democrats argue that no meaningful resolution can happen without President Donald Trump’s direct engagement. Yet despite the growing pressure, Trump has shown little appetite for involvement.
Trump Shows Little Interest in Ending Shutdown as Democrats Demand His Involvement
With the federal government shut down for a third week, President Donald Trump is facing mounting pressure from Democrats to step in and help end the impasse. So far, he’s shown little interest in doing so.
Congress remains at a standstill. The House hasn’t convened in a month, and senators left Washington on Thursday with no progress. Republican leaders insist they won’t negotiate until a stopgap bill is passed to reopen the government. Democrats, meanwhile, are holding firm — saying they won’t agree to any funding deal without commitments to extend health insurance subsidies.
Trump, however, appears content staying on the sidelines. This week, he focused his attention elsewhere, celebrating an Israel-Hamas ceasefire he helped broker, honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a remembrance event, and speaking out on the war in Ukraine. His administration has taken an unconventional approach to the shutdown — continuing military pay while laying off thousands of other federal employees.
Asked whether he planned to use his dealmaking background to help resolve the shutdown, Trump didn’t seem eager.
“All we want to do is just extend,” he told reporters Thursday. “We don’t want anything, we just want to live with the deal they had.” He also dismissed the Democrats’ demands on health care as “crazy,” saying, “We’re just not going to do it.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed that stance, saying Democrats must first vote to reopen the government before any serious policy talks can happen.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune also said Trump would be ready to engage once the government is reopened. “I am willing to sit down with Democrats,” Thune said Friday, “but there’s one condition: End the Schumer Shutdown. I will not negotiate under hostage conditions.”
Frustration is beginning to mount within the Republican ranks. Some GOP senators have been talking to Democrats on the Senate floor in hopes of breaking the gridlock. Still, even they acknowledge that little will move without Trump’s involvement.
“We’re not making much headway this week,” said Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. She admitted that Trump may need to step in, saying, “I think he’s an important part of it.”
Others are less patient. Some lawmakers believe members of the administration are intentionally sidelining Congress.
“I don’t like that,” Murkowski said. “I don’t like that at all.”
Meanwhile, Trump has made aggressive moves during the shutdown, cutting federal funding and pushing for layoffs. Budget Director Russ Vought has withheld billions of dollars from infrastructure projects and laid off thousands of federal workers. Trump even called him the “grim reaper.”
A judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked some of the layoffs, calling them politically motivated and lacking proper justification.
Despite the turmoil, Trump’s administration has managed to unilaterally fund its priorities — notably, paying active-duty military personnel. That maneuver likely avoided a deeper crisis and removed pressure that could have forced a quicker resolution.
In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson has said the chamber won’t return until Democrats approve the existing funding bill. He’s also refused to seat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, a move Democrats believe is aimed at blocking her from signing a discharge petition related to the Epstein investigation.
Public sentiment has barely budged. A recent poll found that approval ratings for both political parties remain largely unchanged since the shutdown began.
Democratic leaders say Republicans are avoiding serious negotiations and increasingly point the finger at Trump. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries say any path forward likely requires Trump to personally engage.
At a CNN town hall, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders both criticized Trump for failing to lead.
“President Trump is not talking. That is the problem,” Sanders said. Ocasio-Cortez added that Trump should hold regular meetings with congressional leaders.
Their frustration reflects a political reality: nothing meaningful gets done in Congress without Trump’s approval. But Republicans warn that bringing Trump into talks now would only encourage Democrats to repeat the same tactic in future funding fights.
“You can’t negotiate when somebody’s got a hostage,” said GOP Sen. Mike Rounds. “If Trump caves now, they’ll do it again.”
Trump seems to be taking that advice. After initially suggesting he might consider negotiating on health care subsidies, he quickly reversed course under pressure from GOP leaders.
According to a White House official speaking anonymously, Trump has no plans to personally broker a deal. The administration has made clear that the only funding bill on the table is the current one, with no changes.
Spokesperson Abigail Jackson summed it up bluntly: “The President is happy to have a conversation about health care policy, but he will not do so while the Democrats are holding the American people hostage.”
The standoff is the latest example of the centralized power Trump has built over the Republican-controlled Congress.
“What’s obvious to me is that Mike Johnson and John Thune don’t do much without Donald Trump telling them what to do,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly.
Democrats also say they need written assurances that the White House will stand by any deal reached. Their concern stems from past episodes, like a $4.9 billion foreign aid cut made unilaterally by Trump’s administration earlier this year.
“I think we need to see ink on paper. I don’t accept pinky promises,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “That’s not the business that I’m in.”
Both sides appear dug in. And both seem to believe they are winning the public messaging war.
“Everybody thinks they’re winning,” said Murkowski. “But nobody is winning when everybody’s losing. And that’s what’s happening right now. The American public is losing.”
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