The Trump administration is freezing $2.1 billion in funding for Chicago infrastructure projects over accusations of “race-based contracting” as the government shutdown continues. 
Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced the move Friday morning, saying that the freeze would impact construction to modernize the city’s public transit system. It comes just two days after the Department of Transportation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-freezes-18-billion-for-nyc-infrastructure-over-unconstitutional-dei-principles?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Freezes+%2418+Billion+For+NYC+Infrastructure+Over+%E2%80%98Unconstitutional+DEI+Principles%E2%80%99">froze</a> $18 billion for New York City infrastructure projects over “unconstitutional” diversity, equity, and inclusion “principles.”
“$2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects — specifically the Red Line Extension and the Red and Purple Modernization Project — have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting,” Vought wrote on X. 
Shortly after Vought’s announcement, the Department of Transportation <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-transportation-statement-review-chicagos-discriminatory">confirmed</a> the freeze and suggested that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) were to blame for leading the Democrats’ resistance to a temporary government funding bill. 
The department said that it was “committed to conducting these reviews as fast as possible so reimbursements can move forward. Unfortunately, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries’ decision to shut down the government has negatively affected the Department’s staffing resources for carrying out this important analysis.”
“We urge Democrats in Congress to stop holding the federal government’s budget hostage so USDOT can get back to the important work of the American people,” the department added. 
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It sent letters on Friday to the Chicago Transit Authority, stating that it had initiated an administrative review of two ongoing projects to modernize the city’s rail system, and added that it was concerned about preferential treatment in construction contracting based on race. 
“Together, these critical reviews are intended to ensure no additional federal dollars go towards discriminatory, illegal, and wasteful contracting practices,” the department said. “The American people don’t care what race or gender construction workers, pipefitters, or electricians are. They just want these massive projects finally built quickly and efficiently.”
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-meeting-set-to-axe-democrat-agencies?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%3A+Meeting+Set+To+Axe+‘Democrat+Agencies’">has urged</a> Republicans to take advantage of the shutdown to cut “Democrat Agencies” and eliminate wasteful spending. 
“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!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday. 
The White House has tasked Vought with reviewing the federal bureaucracy amid the shutdown and identifying areas for spending cuts.

MixCollage-03-Oct-2025-10-22-AM-1097

Blue City Blues: Another Democrat-Run Stronghold Gets Infrastructure Funding Frozen

Blue City Blues: Another Democrat-Run Stronghold Gets Infrastructure Funding Frozen Amid Shutdown

Chicago

Chuck Schumer

Department of Transportation

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Donald Trump

Economy

Government Shutdown

Hakeem Jeffries

Illinois

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Politics

Russ Vought

Democrats have repeatedly insisted that they did not shut the government down over a demand for healthcare for illegal aliens, and several of them have expressed their displeasure at the media outlets willing to call them out on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/yes-democrats-want-to-give-illegals-free-healthcare-here-are-the-facts">that lie</a>.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) got testy with &#8220;CBS Mornings&#8221; host Tony Dokoupil on Thursday, claiming that it wasn&#8217;t &#8220;strictly true&#8221; when he challenged her directly on the issue.
&#8220;So, Senator, you know, Republicans say what you’re really fighting for is taxpayer dollars for, as they put it, illegal aliens. I know that’s not strictly true but there is a provision –&#8221; Dokoupil began.
&#8220;Oh, excuse me, not strictly true,&#8221; Warren&#8217;s protest was immediate.
&#8220;It’s not directly true, but –&#8221; Dokoupil tried again.
&#8220;It is a flat-out lie. It is a flat-out lie,&#8221; Warren insisted. &#8220;There is nothing in Medicaid, nothing in Medicare, that permits one undocumented immigrant to get one dollar of assistance. None.&#8221;
&#8220;Sorry, in the Democratic counteroffer the proposal for funding, there is a restoration of Medicaid benefits for certain noncitizens that had been taken away in the &#8216;Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8217; as Republicans put it,&#8221; Dokoupil pushed back.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren explodes when ‘CBS Mornings’ co-host Tony Dokoupil points out Democrats do, in fact, want to provide health care to “noncitizens…on the taxpayer dime.”
Warren snapped back by declaring “it’s not strictly true” and “a flat-out lie”….… <a href="https://t.co/fOSqgcSdUI">pic.twitter.com/fOSqgcSdUI</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1973743570755506319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CNN, a very similar scene played out between anchor Jake Tapper and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
&#8220;Here&#8217;s a provision &#8230; it shows you want to give illegal aliens healthcare,&#8221; Tapper noted.
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&#8220;It&#8217;s a lie!&#8221; Jeffries protested.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a lie — but, what you support does bring back funding for emergency Medicaid to hospitals, which pays for undocumented immigrants &#8230; and a provision for people seeking asylum and &#8216;temporary protected status,&#8217; noncitizens &#8230; why even include that?&#8221; Tapper asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Hakeem Jeffries REGRETS going on CNN, Jake Tapper just embarrassed him. <a href="https://t.co/KmdS9gMxJN">pic.twitter.com/KmdS9gMxJN</a>
TAPPER: Here&#8217;s a provision&#8230;it shows you want to give illegal aliens healthcare&#8230;
JEFFRIES: It&#8217;s a lie!
TAPPER: It&#8217;s a lie &#8211; BUT, what you support DOES bring back…
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1973515804919345641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) attempted to claim that she&#8217;d never heard anyone in her party calling for providing healthcare for illegals — and Fox News host Lawrence Jones responded with video evidence of members of her party doing exactly that.
&#8220;I haven&#8217;t heard anybody in my party saying illegal immigrants should get access to the health insurance marketplace,&#8221; she said.
Jones showed a clip of Democrats on the 2020 debate stage, and then replied, &#8220;That&#8217;s literally every member of your party from moderate to more progressive that have said that in the past.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen: I haven&#8217;t heard anybody in my party saying illegals should get taxpayer-funded health care!
*ROLLS THE TAPE*
Fox: &#8220;That&#8217;s literally every member of your party from moderate to more progressive&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ziu6pMhLKO">pic.twitter.com/ziu6pMhLKO</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973728411085578487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Republicans shared the receipts in a post to X, highlighting the relevant portion of the resolution: &#8220;It’s right there on paper. Democrats are fighting for healthcare for illegal aliens, NOT the American people.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It’s right there on paper.
Democrats are fighting for healthcare for illegal aliens, NOT the American people. <a href="https://t.co/HIRQyu9lZK">https://t.co/HIRQyu9lZK</a> <a href="https://t.co/qaj4KGzBIj">pic.twitter.com/qaj4KGzBIj</a>
— GOP (@GOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOP/status/1973800680055009462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And it&#8217;s not a new position, either. Several people posted videos and still photos from one of the 2020 Democratic primary debates, when every Democrat on the stage raised a hand to confirm that all of their healthcare plans would include coverage for &#8220;undocumented immigrants.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The question was:
Raise your hand if your healthcare plan covers illegal immigrants. <a href="https://t.co/xS4WYIZCo5">pic.twitter.com/xS4WYIZCo5</a>
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1973540060529303939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

US-VOTE-2020-DEMOCRATS-DEBATE-POLITICS-ELECTION

Dems Peeved That Media Sees Through Their ‘No Healthcare For Illegals’ Lie

Dems Peeved That Media Sees Through Their 'No Health Care For Illegals' Lie

Democrats

Elizabeth Warren

illegal alien

Illegal Immigration

Jake Tapper

Media

CNN anchors John Berman and Kaitlan Collins appeared to have trouble wrapping their brains around the Trump administration&#8217;s willingness to defend — and even embrace — a meme they described as &#8220;racist&#8221; without any apparent concern about the repercussions for doing so.
Berman raised the topic during a Wednesday conversation with Collins, noting that the meme in question — an AI-doctored video that featured House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) with a fake mustache and a sombrero — had been on full display at the White House briefing room.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins can’t believe the Trump admin is doubling down with memes and mariachi music in the WH briefing room:
“They simply don’t care about the criticism.&#8221;
Correct — and that&#8217;s exactly what’s driving the propaganda press insane. They&#8217;re powerless. <a href="https://t.co/hduEvgFT3q">pic.twitter.com/hduEvgFT3q</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1973547503942508844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;So we played sound from Vice President Vance not just defending that AI racist video of Minority Leader Jeffries wearing a sombrero, but also, like celebrating that video, and it was playing on a loop in the briefing room today,&#8221; Berman said, turning to Collins: &#8220;What are you hearing from the inside about that?&#8221;
Collins set the scene for Berman, saying that in addition to the video being played on a loop, the mariachi music from the video had been piped through the room&#8217;s sound system so that everyone could hear it.
&#8220;It just kind of gives you a window, John, into how they&#8217;re dealing with this,&#8221; Collins continued. &#8220;And how they believe they have the upper hand when it comes to the messaging here and also kind of how things have changed from the first time Donald Trump was in office.&#8221;
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&#8220;I mean, there was a shutdown then, I remember all 35 days of it, as the president said at the beginning he&#8217;d be &#8216;proud to shut the government down,&#8217; and that it ended with him obviously not getting the money for his border wall,&#8221; she added. &#8220;This time, you know, there&#8217;s a moment here, they&#8217;re being heavily criticized over this — over these posts by the president — by Democrats, and instead of backing off or apologizing for it, they&#8217;re leaning into it. They&#8217;re playing the music over loudspeakers and on repeat inside the briefing room because they simply don&#8217;t care about that criticism.&#8221;
Vice President JD Vance, when asked about the memes, gave his word that the sombrero memes would stop if and when Jeffries helped put an end to the government shutdown, which was triggered on Tuesday when Democrats refused to vote for a stopgap funding measure unless they got certain concessions.

The 2024 BAFTA NYC Tea Party Presented By Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, And FIJI Water Sponsored By Britbox, Heineken, Taittinger And The Pierre – Arrivals

CNN Is Panicking About White House Mariachi Memes

Kaitlan Collins

Memes

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) drew an audience of dozens to his recent livestream event, which featured a handful of Democrats complaining about — and blaming Republicans for — the government shutdown triggered by Democrat demands.
Jeffries named the event “Stop the Republican Shutdown,” went live prior to the shutdown, and stayed online after it took effect. As people checked in on him throughout the livestream, several noticed that the number of people streaming struggled to approach 200 — well below even the numbers late-night comedian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmels-ratings-spike-crashes-back-down-to-his-usual-terrible-numbers">Jimmy Kimmel</a> has generated since returning from suspension over his comments about assassinated conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
“Currently 152 people watching Hakeem Jeffries ’24 hour shutdown livestream’ on YouTube,” GOP communications strategist Matt Whitlock commented, sharing a screenshot that showed the number of live viewers (152) as Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) spoke.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Currently 152 people watching Hakeem Jeffries “24 hour shutdown livestream” on YouTube. <a href="https://t.co/dmlzBUJxAf">pic.twitter.com/dmlzBUJxAf</a>
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattdizwhitlock/status/1973232723700621708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Another screenshot shared by independent reporter Ken Klippenstein showed A.B. Burns-Tucker speaking with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who was sporting a “no kings” cap in an apparent protest of President Donald Trump. The viewer count sat at 156.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
About 20 minutes into shutdown and Hakeem Jeffries’ livestream is down to 93 viewers <a href="https://t.co/MssThRSsJb">pic.twitter.com/MssThRSsJb</a>
— Ken Klippenstein (NSPM-7 Compliant) (@kenklippenstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/1973241870718578955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A short time later, the viewer count dropped to fewer than 100.
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A screenshot shared by the Republican Party showed viewership of the stream dropping to just 66 in the 10 a.m. hour.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Congrats to <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJeffries</a> for a full 66 viewers in the 10 am hour on his 24-hour “shutdown livestream” <a href="https://t.co/oeW34LeRJu">pic.twitter.com/oeW34LeRJu</a>
— GOP (@GOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOP/status/1973453634982559787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Even <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/10/01/democrats-shutdown-livestream-00591178">Politico</a> jabbed at the debacle, with reporter Adam Wren noting that he’d watched much of the stream “so you didn&#8217;t have to,” and then laying out a series of missteps made by Democrats trying to win the messaging war over the shutdown.
“In launching the livestream, which featured the feel of a throwback telethon with none of the charisma or surprise, Jeffries and his allies seemed to tacitly acknowledge that they needed to be fighting, and sounding and looking as if they were. (‘Y’all, I ain’t scared,’ Jeffries said at one point. ‘I’m from Brooklyn.&#8217;) But few Dems seemed willing to fight on camera,” he wrote.
Wren noted that while Jeffries himself appeared — as did Swalwell and a few others — most of the party’s more prominent voices had not. In addition to the glaring absence of progressives like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), there was a very noticeable chunk of the broadcast filled with rerun content rather than live conversation. According to Wren, despite an internal email <a href="https://x.com/reesejgorman/status/1973076184134009181">begging Democrats</a> to rally and fill the empty time slots, no one was available between 2:30 and 5:30 a.m.
A spokesperson for Jeffries claimed in a statement that the total viewership for the event was significantly higher, stating that there had been approximately 60,000 viewers across several streams and that “clips from the livestream are continuing to also generate hundreds of thousands of views and we still have more coming.”

House Minority Leader Jeffries Holds Capitol Hill Press Conference

Hakeem Jeffries Shutdown Livestream Draws Smaller Audience Than Jimmy Kimmel

Congress

Eric Swalwell

Vice President JD Vance gave his word on Wednesday that memes mocking House and Senate Minority Leaders Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would stop if Jeffries would help end the ongoing government shutdown.
Vance stepped into the White House briefing room to address the press corps and offered his &#8220;solemn promise&#8221; to put an end to the memes, provided Jeffries helped steer his party toward a compromise.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 LMFAO! JD Vance just responded to Hakeem Jeffries being offended by Trump&#8217;s memes
&#8220;I will tell Hakeem Jeffries right now, I make a solemn promise to you, that if you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes WILL stop!&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve talked to the President about that.&#8221; 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/DkJy5t5ooe">pic.twitter.com/DkJy5t5ooe</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1973443709439189176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Vance explained that the memes — which showed Jeffries with a fake mustache and sombrero and Schumer complaining about the Democratic Party — were made in an effort to &#8220;poke fun at the absurdity&#8221; of some of the demands being made by Democrats with regard to any agreement to fund the government going forward.
&#8220;I will tell Hakeem Jeffries right now, I make a solemn promise to you, that if you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop!&#8221; Vance added, prompting laughter around the briefing room. &#8220;And I&#8217;ve talked to the President of the United States about that.&#8221;
Vance went on to say that, in all seriousness, if there were any Senate Democrats who wanted to negotiate a deal to reopen the government, he would be glad to take part.
The memes began with one video posted to President Trump&#8217;s account on X and Truth Social:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/JzQYLShOCt">pic.twitter.com/JzQYLShOCt</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1972822596397003159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When Jeffries responded by complaining about the &#8220;racist&#8221; nature of the meme. &#8220;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!&#8221; he demanded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hakeem Jeffries is very upset about Trump’s video depicting him with a mustache and a sombrero: “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!”
😂<a href="https://t.co/aYwRrWtM9z">pic.twitter.com/aYwRrWtM9z</a>
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) <a href="https://twitter.com/theblaze/status/1973043373956296796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Jeffries continued to complain about the meme during an appearance on MSNBC with host Lawrence O&#8217;Donnell, and Trump responded with a meme made from a clip of that interview.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/2yyuRkm9r8">pic.twitter.com/2yyuRkm9r8</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1973218518893207825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Senate Republicans Advance Trump Tax Bill On Crucial Test Vote

‘A Solemn Promise’: Vance Swears Sombrero Memes Will Stop If Hakeem Jeffries Helps End Shutdown

'A Solemn Promise': Vance Swears Sombrero Memes Will Stop If Hakeem Jeffries Helps End Shutdown

JD Vance

With just hours to go before the looming government shutdown is expected to kick in, a poll by The New York Times suggests that most voters would actually prefer to see Democrats in Congress get to work and find a way to avoid it.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted a screenshot of a single poll question asking 1,075 voters which of the following statements “came closest” to an accurate representation of their opinion on the matter.
“New York Times Poll: 65% of Americans say, ‘the Democrats should not shut down the government, even if their demands are not met,’” Leavitt’s caption read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New York Times Poll:
65% of Americans say, “the Democrats should not shut down the government, even if their demands are not met.” <a href="https://t.co/x3CFjzqgm6">pic.twitter.com/x3CFjzqgm6</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1973024518424743946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The first choice read, “The Democrats should shut down the government if their demands are not met” — and just over one-fourth (27%) of respondents selected that answer. The second, which was chosen by 65% of respondents, read, “The Democrats should not shut down the government, even if their demands are not met.” Just under one-tenth (7%) of respondents did not choose one of the two options.
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Trump’s team shared the same data in graphic form:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 POLL: 65% of Americans say Democrats SHOULD NOT shut down the government <a href="https://t.co/9schOzvYfV">pic.twitter.com/9schOzvYfV</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973027165739643068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
House Democrats are all-in on the imminent shutdown, and even shared a group photo celebrating their refusal to come to the table. “House Democrats are in DC and ready to cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care,” the caption claimed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
House Democrats are in DC and ready to cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care. <a href="https://t.co/vnNRqGD3NS">pic.twitter.com/vnNRqGD3NS</a>
— House Democrats (@HouseDemocrats) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseDemocrats/status/1972828851442204762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who proved to be the weak link in the last shutdown standoff, has made it clear that he does not intend to budge this time. Indeed, after he argued that it was more important to make sure that the government was funded and people were paid — a position that the NYT poll suggests voters share — Schumer took a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-already-happening-abcs-the-view-is-in-absolute-panic-mode-over-schumer-caving-on-cr">wave of backlash</a> from within his own party for giving Republicans a win. That experience, coupled with an increasingly likely primary from someone further to the left — possibly from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) — has apparently galvanized Schumer to stand his ground in the current fight.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said as much on Tuesday, arguing that Schumer didn’t care if he was blamed for the shutdown because the optics were better for him if he was.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderJohnThune</a>: &#8220;Politically speaking, Chuck Schumer needs a Schumer Shutdown&#8230; This is a made-up problem by the Democrats, who desperately need to satisfy a political base that is hostile to Donald Trump&#8230; This doesn&#8217;t have anything to do with health care.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/BwNdzwqJtn">pic.twitter.com/BwNdzwqJtn</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973012686796623956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I&#8217;m going to tell you, just in the Senate at least, politically speaking, Chuck Schumer needs a Schumer Shutdown,” Thune said. “And I think that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re probably careening toward. But it&#8217;s up to the Democrats. This bill — this 24 pages is sitting at the desk in the Senate right now. It could be picked up and passed, the government stays open, and we complete our appropriations work.”
“They have the same leverage on November the 21st that they have right now,” Thune said of the Democrats, adding, “&#8230; This is a made-up problem by the Democrats, who desperately need to satisfy a political base that is hostile to Donald Trump. That&#8217;s what this is about &#8230; This doesn&#8217;t have anything to do with health care.”

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-CONGRESS

As Dems Prepare To Force A Government Shutdown, Poll Suggests The People Aren’t Falling In Line

As Dems Prepare To Force A Government Shutdown, Poll Suggests The People Aren't Falling In Line

Karoline Leavitt

Mike Johnson

New York Times

Poll

The New York Times

WASHINGTON—Vice President JD Vance emerged from a White House meeting with congressional leadership with a grim message.
&#8220;I think we&#8217;re heading to a shutdown, because the Democrats won&#8217;t do the right thing,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;I hope they change their mind, but we&#8217;re going to see.&#8221;
President Donald Trump and Vance met at the White House Monday afternoon with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Their goal — to pass a continuing resolution that will keep the government open before October 1 — seems to remain out of grasp.
The seven-week extension will allow time for the appropriations process to take place and will fund the government until November 21. The House of Representatives passed the bill on Sept. 19 by a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5371/all-actions?overview=closed&amp;q=%7B%22roll-call-vote%22%3A%22all%22%7D">vote</a> of 217-212. The Senate, however, failed to adopt the continuing resolution by a <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00528.htm">vote</a> of 44-48. The Senate will need 60 votes in order to pass the resolution.
The leaders spoke with reporters outside the White House following the meeting, but did not indicate any sign of a deal as Republican leaders urged Senate Democrats to pass the continuing resolution which was previously passed by the House.
“We have disagreements about tax policy, but you don’t shut the government down. We have disagreements about healthcare policy, but you don’t shut the government down,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;You don’t say the fact that you disagree about a particular tax provision is an excuse for shutting down the people’s government and all the essential services that come along with it.&#8221;
Vance said he believes the American people are &#8220;going to suffer because these guys won&#8217;t do the right thing.&#8221;
Schumer said Democrats presented proposals to the president during the meeting and said they shared with him “some of the consequences of what’s happening in health care,” such as “the closing of rural hospitals, the fact that so many clinics are closing.&#8221;
“If he will accept some of the things we asked, which we think the American people are for, on healthcare and on recessions, he can avoid a shutdown, but there are still large differences between us,&#8221; Schumer said.
Schumer cited “very large differences” between the parties and said the Republican bill has “not one iota of Democratic input.”
He said it is “up to the Republicans if they want to shut down or not.”
Republicans have <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-passes-hr-5371-continuing-appropriations-and-extensions-act-2026">reportedly</a> called the continuing resolution &#8220;clean and straightforward.&#8221;
Johnson said Democrats &#8220;refuse to acknowledge the simple facts,&#8221; and called the continuing resolution a &#8220;commonsense thing to do — the right thing to do.&#8221;
The Speaker said Democrats previously issued a counterproposal that included $1.5 trillion in new spending &#8220;that is unrelated to the ongoing appropriations process.&#8221;
&#8220;If the Democrats make the decision to shut the government down, the consequences are on them and I think it&#8217;s absolutely tragic,&#8221; Johnson said.
During the press conference, Thune held up a copy of the continuing resolution, and said it is sitting at the Senate desk, and can be passed Monday night or Tuesday, if Democrats acquiesce.
&#8220;Right now, they are the only thing standing between the American people and the government shutting down,&#8221; Thune said.
Thune said that similar resolutions were passed 13 times when Democrats had the majority.
&#8220;To me, this is purely a hostage-taking exercise on part of the Democrats,&#8221; Thune said. &#8220;We&#8217;re willing to sit down and work with them on some of the issues they want to talk about, whether it&#8217;s the extension of premium tax credits, with reforms, we&#8217;re happy to have that conversation. But as of right now, this is a hijacking of the American people — and it&#8217;s the American people that are going to pay the price.&#8221;
On Sept. 20, Jeffries and Schumer wrote a letter to the president, shared <a href="https://x.com/RepJeffries/status/1969426282552119312">on X</a>, in which they insisted that Democrats will “not support a dirty spending bill that continues the Republican assault on healthcare.”
Jeffries claimed the bill includes “devastating Medicaid and Medicare cuts; skyrocketing premiums, co-pays, and deductibles; the refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” and more.
The government is set to shut down Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. if Congress does not approve a continuing resolution.

Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu Meets With Trump At The White House

‘We’re Heading To A Shutdown’: White House Meeting With Congressional Leaders Ends In Stalemate

As a government shutdown looms in the very near future, the topic at the forefront of discussions across the Sunday morning political talk shows was funding the government: who is holding the most leverage, who — if anyone — is willing to budge, and what will happen if they can&#8217;t come to an agreement?
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
After previously canceling a meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — and declaring their demands for a potential deal to be &#8220;ridiculous,&#8221; Trump has reportedly agreed to a rescheduled meeting to discuss plans to avoid a shutdown. Republicans and Democrats alike addressed what such a deal might look like — and thus far, a consensus it is not.
Jeffries, for example, told ABC News host Martha Raddatz on &#8220;This Week&#8221; that he was willing to sit down with anyone who was interested in finding a path forward to funding the government.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a>. <a href="https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc">https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc</a> <a href="https://t.co/tWvRtrkObC">pic.twitter.com/tWvRtrkObC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972304860528722211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But in the same interview, he badmouthed the people he claimed to be ready to work with, saying they&#8217;d &#8220;behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Republicans have “behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/FrrprqmxbC">pic.twitter.com/FrrprqmxbC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305063549800536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And then he flipped back, saying once again that he wanted to work with the Republicans he&#8217;d just referred to as &#8220;rubber stamps&#8221; for an &#8220;extreme agenda.&#8221;
&#8220;We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/IOdlC4TrET">pic.twitter.com/IOdlC4TrET</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305251743973649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) made it clear that he believed Republicans — who hold a slim majority — had the advantage and did not plan to make unnecessary concessions.
&#8220;I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision,&#8221; he told Raddatz, adding that he still believed there was time for them to reach a deal.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says “there’s still time” to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.
“I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision.” <a href="https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3">https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3</a> <a href="https://t.co/0hmyU6JT1Y">pic.twitter.com/0hmyU6JT1Y</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972314405963510038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CBS, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; opened with a statement from President Trump — who said that unless Democrats are willing to move on several key issues, the government is likely to shut down.
&#8220;I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW THIS MORNING: President Trump tells <a href="https://twitter.com/costareports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@costareports</a> the government is likely to shut down this week unless top Democrats address his concerns on immigration and health care, and says both parties are now at a stalemate.
“I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,”… <a href="https://t.co/VdLXd7Qxl0">pic.twitter.com/VdLXd7Qxl0</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1972313362793943395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) made it clear that Republicans did not plan to give an inch — and that Democrats were just going to have to come around.
&#8220;The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else. <a href="https://t.co/ESOndRHAO9">pic.twitter.com/ESOndRHAO9</a>
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1972326146139467887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Schumer, who has apparently learned his lesson after he worked with Republicans to avert the last potential government shutdown, also appeared on the NBC Sunday morning show and insisted that Republicans were &#8220;feeling the heat&#8221; and would soon give in to Democrats&#8217; demands.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Republican Senators, Representatives, and even Donald Trump are feeling the heat to do something about the horrible health care crisis they’ve created. <a href="https://t.co/20SG3sKiX1">pic.twitter.com/20SG3sKiX1</a>
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1972349160717205796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined host Jake Tapper on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; where he called on members of his party to &#8220;hold the line.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen calls on his party to “hold the line” in government funding fight. <a href="https://t.co/0nn9wg5v7w">pic.twitter.com/0nn9wg5v7w</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311184863813768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Van Hollen, who made a name for himself when he left his own constituents twisting in the wind while he flew to El Salvador to advocate for a deported MS-13 gang member, then snarked at President Trump and suggested he&#8217;d previously refused to meet with congressional leaders because he was too busy golfing.
&#8220;It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Trump’s meeting with Democratic leaders ahead of shutdown deadline: “It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk.” <a href="https://t.co/gjjckTkaZa">pic.twitter.com/gjjckTkaZa</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311038612643938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump explained days earlier that he&#8217;d <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/do-the-right-thing-trump-axes-meeting-with-radical-dems-calls-for-realistic-terms">called off a planned meeting</a> because the demands put forth by the Democrats at the time had been unrealistic.

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won’t They (Shut Everything Down)?

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won't They (Shut Everything Down)?

ABC News

CBS News

Charles Schumer

Chris Van Hollen

John Thune

NBC News

Steve Scalise

Multiple people are dead after what appears to be an anti-ICE attack in Dallas, red state homeowners are suing over a COVID-era bailout program, and Senate Democrats stall a funding bill that would keep the lights on in Washington.
It’s Thursday, September 25, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">ICE Targeted In Dallas</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-976679" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A shooter opened fire at an ICE facility in Dallas on Wednesday, killing multiple immigrant detainees.
The gunman shot three detainees. Two of them died from their wounds. The shooter then turned the gun on himself and died at the scene.
Photos of the aftermath of the attack showed that bullets struck windows and walls inside the facility, but no law enforcement personnel were injured.
Federal law enforcement sources tell The Daily Wire that authorities believe that the shooter was trying to shoot at ICE officers when he aimed at an unmarked van. That van was holding illegal immigrant detainees who were being walked in for processing.
The shooter: Reports indicate the alleged shooter was 29-year-old Joshua Jahn. While not much is known about his history, authorities say he did give a glimpse into his motive after leaving shell casings behind, one engraved with the words “ANTI-ICE.” The FBI is investigating the targeted shooting, and the agency’s director, Kash Patel, says the casings prove that there was “an ideological motive” behind this attack.
Step back: The fatal shooting comes amid an uptick in left-wing violence targeting law enforcement and conservatives. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) spoke about that during a press conference on Wednesday, where he called for his left-leaning colleagues in Congress to stop fanning the flames of the violence with their rhetoric.
“To every politician who is using rhetoric demonizing ICE and demonizing CBP, stop. To every politician demanding that ICE agents be doxxed and calling for people to go after their families, stop,” said Cruz. “This has very real consequences. Look, in America, we disagree. That&#8217;s fine. That&#8217;s the democratic process. But your political opponents are not Nazis. We need to learn to work together without demonizing each other, without attacking each other.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Biden Housing Bailout Sparks Racial Backlash</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-976677" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A $10 billion coronavirus-era housing bailout paid Americans&#8217; mortgages and even their HOA dues. But 40% of the funds went to black Americans, due to the program including explicit racial preferences.
Now, some white residents are suing their states, saying the government illegally withheld assistance from them based on their race.
The significance: This is one of the largest race-based government wealth transfers in history. And it happened because it came during the COVID pandemic, when the United States was hemorrhaging billions of dollars.
The program is called the <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/homeowner-assistance-fund">Homeowner Assistance </a><a href="https://www.ncsha.org/homeowner-assistance-fund/">Fund</a>, and it provided people up to $50,000 to pay housing-related bills. It was passed by Congress and required about half the money to go to homeowners at or below the median income, while the remainder could be allocated to wealthier individuals, with priority given to “socially disadvantaged” homeowners.
“Socially disadvantaged?” Congress didn’t define it, and the program was run separately by each state, which received money after submitting a plan to the federal government. But the Biden administration heavily suggested a definition for the states to include in their plans: “those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias.”
The “presumption,” the administration said, is that “the following individuals are socially disadvantaged: Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.”
How it played out: In Alabama, 85% of the funds went to black residents. In Georgia, it was 82%. That’s surprising because, just based on the fact that half the money was supposed to be doled out based on income, you should have seen more people of other races. Only about half of Georgians below the median income are black. 
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit say that’s because Georgia deliberately ensured that white people didn’t even know it existed. The state’s plan included texting residents to inform them about this opportunity for $50,000 – but only residents of counties with high minority populations.
The Biden administration was never clear about the criteria, but many states used the definition provided by the Biden administration. Now, Georgia, Missouri, and Oklahoma are being sued by residents for going along with it, despite politicians in those states claiming to oppose DEI.
The lawsuits: In Missouri, the program was administered by a housing commission, where the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general serve as commissioners. Missouri partnered with the Black Chamber of Commerce to advertise the program, and 44% of the money went to blacks, who make up less than 12% of the population. A spokeswoman for Missouri Republican Governor Mike Kehoe declined to comment on the ongoing litigation but called him “a strong advocate for removing DEI.”
In Oklahoma, plaintiffs include a massage therapist who was forced out of a job by COVID policies and her disabled-veteran husband. They point out that the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency said prominently on its website that “African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, [and] LGBTQ+” residents would get preference.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Budget Deadline Looms Over Congress</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-976675" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Donald Trump canceled a meeting with Democratic congressional leaders this week to discuss government funding. The president blasted Democrats’ demands as “unserious and ridiculous” as government funding is set to expire at the end of the month.
The deadline to avert a partial government shutdown is September 30, giving lawmakers less than a week. House Republicans have already passed a clean, 7-week funding extension. However, the bill is currently stalled in the Senate. Even though the GOP holds the majority, Republicans need 60 votes, which means they need some Democrat support.
Trump had planned to meet this week with Democratic leaders – Sen. Chuck Schumer and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries – but scrapped the meeting over the Democrats’ demands. The president doubled down on Wednesday, writing on Truth Social that Democratic demands include free healthcare for illegal aliens, half a billion dollars for “Radical Left News Outlets,” leaving “DEAD PEOPLE on Medicaid and Social Security rolls,” and “men playing in women’s sports.” 
What Democrats are saying: Democrats say they won’t back down. Schumer and Jeffries have been on a media blitz this week following the meeting&#8217;s collapse. The main line of attack from Democrats is centered on healthcare.
“Republicans have engaged in an unprecedented assault on the healthcare of the American people throughout this year. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Millions of people are going to lose coverage because of what Republicans have done,” said Jeffries during an appearance on <a href="https://youtu.be/CLm2OIhjkUo?t=228">MSNBC</a>.
State of play: According to some reports, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) urged Trump to cancel the meeting. Congressional Republicans thought that Democrats were unserious and that meeting with them would only erode Republicans’ leverage.
Johnson sent the House into recess after it passed its 7-week extension, and he said he won’t recall lawmakers back to DC until after the September 30 deadline. If Democrats don’t agree to a clean bill, there will be a fight over who takes the blame for the shutdown.
&nbsp;

MRN 9.25.25 Thu Thumbnail V4

Morning Brief: Dallas ICE Attack, Housing Bailout Sparks Racial Lawsuits & D.C.’s Budget Standoff

COVID-19

Dallas

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Morning Wire

Pandemic

Ted Cruz

Texas

CNN anchor Dana Bash brought in House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for a Sunday morning interview on &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; and he spent most of his time declaring President Donald Trump&#8217;s recent actions and policy positions to be racially motivated.
Jeffries was particularly concerned with Trump&#8217;s efforts to reframe a number of exhibits that are part of the Smithsonian Museums in the nation&#8217;s capital — exhibits that Trump said work overtime to paint the United States in a less than flattering light.
Jeffries claimed that Trump was &#8220;behaving like a racial arsonist&#8221; and attempting to whitewash America&#8217;s history with regard to slavery.
&#8220;It&#8217;s extraordinary that he would make such a historically ignorant statement,&#8221; Jeffries complained, adding, &#8220;The Smithsonian should continue to hold the line and make sure that this very painful part of American history is not erased.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
House Democratic Leader <a href="https://twitter.com/hakeemjeffries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hakeemjeffries</a> reacts to Trump&#8217;s review of the Smithsonian museums: Donald Trump is &#8220;behaving like a racial arsonist. &#8221; <a href="https://t.co/vJcH32CSFQ">pic.twitter.com/vJcH32CSFQ</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1959617204892144005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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From The White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/08/president-trump-is-right-about-the-smithsonian/">website</a>:
<blockquote>The exhibits marked by the Trump administration as part of the problem were not the ones that directly addressed slavery — but rather those that attacked &#8220;white culture &#8220;The National Museum of African American History and Culture debuted a series to educate people on “a society that privileges white people and whiteness” — defining so-called “white dominant culture“ as “ways white people and their traditions, attitudes, and ways of life have been normalized over time” and portraying “the nuclear family,” “work ethic,” and “intellect” as white qualities rooted in racism.</blockquote>
Jeffries also pivoted to race when the discussion turned to the recent redistricting fight in Texas, blaming Trump — who supported the new map — and claiming that the Republican-driven map was also rooted in racism.
&#8220;This is a racial, partisan gerrymander ordered by Donald Trump as part of an effort to rig the midterm elections,&#8221; he claimed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/hakeemjeffries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HakeemJeffries</a> on what&#8217;s happening on Texas redistricting: &#8220;this is a racial, partisan gerrymander ordered by Donald Trump as part of an effort to rig the midterm elections.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/jG30xxrDKK">pic.twitter.com/jG30xxrDKK</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1959632824543449179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) Holds News Conference

Hakeem Jeffries: Everything Trump Is Doing Is Racist

Racism

Redistricting

As House lawmakers prepare to leave Washington, D.C., and begin their August recess this week, party leaders laid out plans for what their caucus members will be doing over the next several weeks.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5nKJI4m8xg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> on Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) dismissed the notion that Republicans would be taking it easy for the rest of the summer. Rather, he contended, they will be meeting voters and promoting the &#8220;One, Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; that passed through Congress and was signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month.
&#8220;This is the last leadership press conference before we enter the August district work period,&#8221; he declared. &#8220;Around here, people call it the August recess. It is not that. I know that lots of people in the press corps are going to be able to enjoy some downtime with friends and families, and we commend you for that. But House Republicans aren&#8217;t going to get to participate in all that stuff because this month of August is not a vacation.&#8221;
Johnson noted this period is &#8220;arguably the most important work month on our calendar&#8221; because members go home, connect with constituents in person, host roundtables with local businesses and organizations, and &#8220;meet with community stakeholders and local officials.&#8221;
&#8220;Really, really important components of the job,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;And frankly, they need to cut through the false and misleading claims about the &#8216;One Big Beautiful Bill&#8217; from the media and the Democrats. As I mentioned, the more people know, the more they greatly favor the bill that we passed, and House Republicans are going to spend the month highlighting how it will positively impact our districts and our communities.&#8221;
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) used a Democrat leadership <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/c5UkjsJDwwk?t=252s">press conference</a> on Wednesday to argue the &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; and Trump are &#8220;deeply&#8221; unpopular. He also said that all Republicans can do during this August recess is brag about their &#8220;toxic and extreme&#8221; bill that he claimed would cause millions of Americans to lose their healthcare and bestow large tax breaks onto billionaires.
&#8220;During the August district work period, House Democrats will hold events all across the country talking about our efforts to build an affordable economy that lowers the high cost of living in the United States of America, to protect the healthcare of the American people, and to combat the cultural corruption that exists in this town that undermines the ability to have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people,&#8221; Jeffries said.
&#8220;We&#8217;re looking forward to holding town hall meetings across the country, at the same time that Republicans will continue to run away from town hall meetings,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But we will fill the void that they are leaving and engage aggressively with the American people, all in service of building a country where everyone can experience the American dream.&#8221;
It remains unclear whether the Senate will have an August recess.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-on-senate-to-cancel-long-weekends-and-get-his-people-confirmed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called on</a> Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to cancel &#8220;long weekends&#8221; and the upper chamber&#8217;s August recess to confirm more of his nominees.
&#8220;We’re thinking about it,&#8221; Thune said on Monday, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5412240-thune-august-recess-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thune-warns-schumer-may-cave-to-far-left-push-for-govt-shutdown-in-coming-weeks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED: Thune Warns Schumer May Cave To Far Left, Push For Govt Shutdown In Coming Weeks</a>

Speaker Johnson And Leader Jeffries

‘Not A Vacation’: House Leaders Unveil Rival Game Plans For ‘Most Important Work Month’

U.S. House of Representatives

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents face increasing threats of violence, a Massachusetts lawmaker wants to make them more easily identifiable.
Massachusetts State Representative James Hawkins on Monday introduced a <a href="https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/HD4886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a> that would require ICE agents to remove face coverings while performing their public duties — making him the latest Democrat pushing to expose immigration officials. On Tuesday, Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2025/07/09/dems-push-mask-bills-amid-ice-attacks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> a bill that would prohibit federal agents from concealing their identities with masks while also requiring them to &#8220;display their name or badge number and the agency they represent.&#8221;
In New York City, lawmakers — including Comptroller Brad Lander, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-democrat-nyc-mayoral-candidate-arrested-by-ice-at-immigration-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> by ICE for interfering with a deportation — <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/new-york-playbook-pm/2025/07/09/unmasking-ice-agents-state-bill-ny-brad-lander-tony-simone-00445241" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> a similar bill, with Lander saying ICE agents wear masks &#8220;for the purpose of striking fear into asylum seekers and immigrants in the hope that they will be terrorized by masked gangs who seek to grab and abduct them.&#8221;
But according to White House Border Czar Tom Homan, ICE agents are simply masking up to protect themselves.
&#8220;Some of you here say, &#8216;Why are they wearing masks?'&#8221; Homan <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1928093476228317221" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a May press conference. &#8220;They&#8217;re trying to protect themselves and their families! &#8230; They&#8217;re being doxxed! … Assaults are up, and it won&#8217;t be tolerated!&#8221;
There has been a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ice-officials-slam-cnn-for-promoting-app-that-helps-illegals-dodge-federal-agents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">500% increase</a> in assaults on ICE agents in recent months, according to the Department of Homeland Security. As The Daily Wire reported, an app called ICEBlock allows users to alert one another to the presence of ICE agents, something the White House says puts agents in imminent danger. Just yesterday, Border Patrol agents <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/far-left-activists-in-l-a-arrested-for-targeting-immigration-enforcement-vehicles-with-tire-spikes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> four people in Los Angeles who are suspected of planting tire spikes in front of vehicles used by federal immigration enforcement agents.
President Donald Trump also underscored why border patrol and ICE agents may need to wear masks.
&#8220;They&#8217;re great patriots,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-seethes-dems-floating-bill-requiring-unmasking-ice-cbp-agents-must-hate-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;If you expose them because of, you know, statements like have been made by Democrats and others on the left, usually mostly, I think, probably exclusively, you put them in great danger, tremendous danger.&#8221;
Still, Democrats insist that ICE agents need to be unmasked. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ice-agents-wear-masks-after-threats-to-their-families-but-top-dem-promises-to-id-all-of-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pledged</a>  that &#8220;every single&#8221; ICE agent would &#8220;be identified,&#8221; &#8220;no matter what it takes.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to Hawkins&#8217;s office but did not receive an immediate response.

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