House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back Sunday on the widespread &#8220;no kings&#8221; protests that took place across the United States a day earlier, saying that President Donald Trump was far from the authoritarian &#8220;king&#8221; Democrats were claiming that he was.
Johnson joined host Jonathan Karl on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week&#8221; to discuss a wide range of topics, from the ongoing government shutdown to the protests — some of which were attended by high-profile elected Democrats — and he argued that if Trump were behaving like a king, the government shutdown would not still be in effect.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“If President Trump was a king, the government would be open right now. If President Trump was a king, they would not have been able to engage in that free speech exercise,” Speaker Johnson tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> following the nationwide “No Kings” protests. <a href="https://t.co/wiTLxsYRmW">https://t.co/wiTLxsYRmW</a> <a href="https://t.co/AIDORW7u64">pic.twitter.com/AIDORW7u64</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1979901485417632246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Let&#8217;s start with the &#8216;no kings&#8217; rallies,&#8221; Karl jumped right in after introducing Johnson. &#8220;You called these &#8216;Hate America rallies,&#8217; what do you mean by that?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, that collection of folks that I listed were certainly part of it. We congratulate them on an apparently violent free speech exercise. I was a First Amendment lawyer for 20 years, we defend that right — but the irony of the message is pretty clear for everyone. If President Trump was a king, the government would be open right now. If President Trump was a king, they would not have been able to engage in that free speech exercise out on the mall, by the way, which was open because President Trump hasn&#8217;t closed it,&#8221; Johnson replied, taking aim at former President Barack Obama, who did close outdoor monuments when the government shut down under his leadership.
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&#8220;In the last shutdown, 2013-era, President Obama closed the National Mall,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He closed all the national parks, didn&#8217;t allow people to engage in all this.&#8221;
&#8220;So it&#8217;s — they needed a stunt, they needed a show. Chuck Schumer has — needs cover right now, he&#8217;s closed the government down because he needs political cover and this was part of it,&#8221; Johnson concluded,
Schumer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-think-you-caved-schumer-gets-an-absolute-grilling-on-the-view">faced backlash</a> from within his own party during the last shutdown battle, largely because he voted with Republicans and said that it was more important to keep the government open than to score a few political points.

Speaker Mike Johnson

Speaker Johnson Pushes Back On ‘No Kings’ Protests

Speaker Johnson Pushes Back On 'No Kings' Protests

Donald Trump

Media

Mike Johnson

Politics

Protests

After Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on a CNN town hall to discuss the government shutdown—and repeatedly attacked House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) while issuing demands for President Donald Trump to meet—Johnson fired back, “With every ounce of Christian character that I can muster &#8230; bless her heart.”
Ocasio-Cortez accused Johnson of “choosing to punish the American people,” declaring that she would not “enable it by acquiescing and enabling the behavior of bullies.” She added, “So it ends today,” and warned, “If I were Mike Johnson, you should be in that office negotiating with Hakeem Jeffries every damn day until we reopen this government.” Ocasio-Cortez also demanded, “I will not accept a measly one-year extension of the ACA,” and argued that “health care is a human right &#8230; the minimum wage should be a living wage in this country &#8230; [and] public colleges and universities should be tuition-free.”
“Does AOC, does she have both oars in the water here, thinking that the president is going to bow down to these demands?” Fox News’ Laura Ingraham asked Johnson.
“With every ounce of Christian character that I can muster, Laura, let me just say, bless her heart,” Johnson replied. “This would be comical if it were not so dangerous. You’re looking at the two leaders of the modern Democratic Party. We say all the time, ‘This is not your father‘s party.’ It’s not. These guys are full Marxists. You hear how vapid their ideology is; what empty suits they are.”
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“But they are the leaders of the party,” he continued. “They are dragging the rest of the old guard, the old party leaders, around by the nose, and they are subservient to their wishes. Chuck Schumer has picked a fight over this very simple clean CR to just keep the government funded for 21 additional days, till November 21, seven more weeks, so we can get this appropriations process done. And the reason he did it is because he’s afraid of that voice you just heard on that stage. He’s afraid AOC  is going to challenge him.”
“There’s a rise of Marxism in the party; it’s happening in New York, in their state, and he’s terrified. That’s why everybody around the country is feeling such pain right now, because of this nonsense,” he concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨“Bless her heart.”
“This would be comical if it weren’t so dangerous. <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AOC</a> and her fellow Marxists are dragging the Democratic Party into chaos while Schumer panics to keep his job.” — <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> <a href="https://t.co/DdGQ3pAcfN">pic.twitter.com/DdGQ3pAcfN</a>
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) <a href="https://twitter.com/IngrahamAngle/status/1978972928789073984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

MixCollage-17-Oct-2025-11-26-AM-4521

‘Bless Her Heart’: Speaker Johnson Torches AOC After She Attacks Him, Makes Demands On Trump

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Bernie Sanders

Congress

Government Shutdown

House Speaker

Marxism

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Wednesday <a href="https://x.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1978559530712887604">addressed</a> the ongoing government shutdown, calling Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer a &#8220;loser.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a Democrat Schumer shutdown and he’s trying to do it to get relevance back into the party because he’s a loser,&#8221; Trump said during an Oval Office press conference.
The president added that he has known Schumer &#8220;all his life.&#8221;
&#8220;He’s always been sort of a loser — but an intelligent one. I think he’s losing IQ points with time,” he continued.
Trump said that he hopes not to follow Schumer down this path, but added that, if it did, he’s confident the media would be quick to report it.
As of Wednesday, the government shutdown had entered its 15th day, with no indication of ending any time soon. In the afternoon, the Senate voted again to block the House-passed continuing resolution to reopen the government.
The vote was 51-44. The resolution needs 60 votes to pass.
Before the vote on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said if necessary, they would vote again on Thursday.
There is growing speculation that the shutdown may not end until after the nationwide “No Kings” protests scheduled for this Saturday.
The protest is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-johnson-says-dems-wont-end-shutdown-until-after-no-kings-protest-internal-docs-show-he-may-be-right?author=Amber+Jo+Cooper&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Mike+Johnson+Says+Dems+Won%E2%80%99t+End+Shutdown+Until+After+%E2%80%98No+Kings%E2%80%99+Protest.+Internal+Docs+Show+He+May+Be+Right.">reportedly</a> described as a “peaceful national day of action and mass mobilization in response to the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson told <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1976625782077227332">Fox News</a> that Democrats are holding off until then, and he &#8220;can&#8217;t believe they&#8217;re actually doing this.&#8221;
&#8220;They have a Hate America rally scheduled for Oct. 18 on the National Mall. It&#8217;s all the Pro-Hamas wing, the Antifa people, they&#8217;re all coming out,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;It&#8217;s being told to us that they won&#8217;t be able to reopen the government until after that rally because they can&#8217;t face their rabid base.&#8221;

Senators Meet For Their Weekly Policy Luncheons

Trump: Schumer Is A ‘Loser’ Using The Shutdown In A Bid To ‘Get Relevance Back’

Chuck Schumer

John Thune

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and the speaker of the Israeli Knesset, Amir Ohana, are partnering on a campaign to collect support for a Nobel Peace Prize for President Donald Trump.
Johnson and Ohana announced the initiative this week following the president’s whirlwind trip to the Middle East. On Monday, Trump was in Israel to mark the homecoming of hostages from Gaza, and in Egypt to lead a summit for peace in the Middle East.
“We&#8217;re going to embark upon a project together to rally speakers and presidents of parliaments around the world so that we will jointly nominate President Donald J. Trump for next year&#8217;s Nobel Peace Prize. No one has ever deserved that prize more, and that is an objective fact,” said Johnson on Tuesday. “Under his leadership, we are witnessing the dawn of a new golden age, not just for America, but for the entire free world.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, we proudly announced that Speaker of the Israeli Knesset Amir Ohana and I are undertaking a new joint effort to rally Speakers and Presidents of Parliaments around the world to join us in nominating President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2026.
NO ONE has done… <a href="https://t.co/sypF9J83nj">pic.twitter.com/sypF9J83nj</a>
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1978125717100474840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
On Monday, ahead of Trump’s speech before the Knesset, Ohana <a href="https://x.com/AmirOhana/status/1978203307178106897">referred</a> to Trump as a “colossus who will be enshrined in the pantheon of history” and a friend to the Jewish people the likes of which has not been seen in thousands of years.
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The two speakers’ campaign seeks to add to an already growing list of international diplomats and world leaders who have endorsed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, including Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The government of Pakistan has nominated Trump for the award as well.
Across two terms in the White House, Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pax-trumpana-trumps-resume-for-winning-the-nobel-peace-prize">intervened</a> in eight conflicts to broker ceasefires or peace agreements, the latest of which is the ceasefire struck between Israel and Hamas. U.S. diplomacy and mediation secured the release of the remaining 20 living hostages from the terror group Hamas. The hostages returned to Israel on Monday.
The president also created a framework that has received widespread backing across the Middle East, including from Israel and many Arab and Muslim countries, to create a pathway for Palestinian self-determination. Trump&#8217;s record in the Middle East builds off that of his first term when his administration orchestrated the Abraham Accords to normalize relations between Israel and the Arab world.

Mike Johnson Partners With Knesset Speaker On International Campaign For Trump’s Nobel

Global Politics

Israel

Knesset

United States

World

WASHINGTON—With the government shutdown showing no signs of ending, House Speaker Mike Johnson told The Daily Wire that Democrats are &#8220;wandering in the wilderness,&#8221; without a leader or policy platform.
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s the leaders of these radical leftist groups that are leading Chuck Schumer around as if he has a nose ring,&#8221; Johnson said in a Friday interview with Republican lawmakers.
“They don&#8217;t have a platform they can run on. They don’t have a policy that is palatable to the American people. They were roundly refuted, of course, in the last election, and they&#8217;re wandering in the wilderness.&#8221;
“When you don&#8217;t stand for something, you fall for anything,&#8221; Johnson added. &#8220;And that&#8217;s what you&#8217;re seeing right now.&#8221;
Johnson also said he doesn’t believe Democrats have an “identified leader,&#8221; referencing former President Donald Trump’s October 7<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnRQP628zfM" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> press conference</a>, where he claimed the party has “no leader.”
Johnson challenged Democrats to name the leader of their party, stating: “I don’t think they can — they don’t have one.”
The Speaker said he believes that the &#8220;most radical fringe voices in the party&#8221; took over during President Joe Biden’s administration, whom he described as “personally checked out.&#8221;
&#8220;I think they guided and pushed so many of the decisions of that administration, and I think they&#8217;re feeling empowered,&#8221; Johnson said.
While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer supported a continuing resolution earlier this year in March, Johnson pointed to the Senate New York Democrat&#8217;s recent reversal.
Schumer has been objecting to the House&#8217;s resolution over healthcare provisions, with a proposal<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/more-lies-from-johnson-and-gop-leader-schumer-debunks-gop-lies-and-deception-amid-trump-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> he said</a> &#8220;aims to reverse the Republicans’ devastating cuts to Medicaid and extend the [Affordable Care Act] tax credits.”
&#8220;The party tried to descend upon the head of Chuck Schumer in March, when he voted the right way to keep the government open, and he is no longer willing to submit to that pain, and so he&#8217;s going to inflict pain on everybody else,” Johnson said.
Johnson warned that it is “dangerous” for the American people and the country to have “the most radical fringe groups in America guiding policy for one of the two major parties.”
The Daily Wire also spoke with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who made it clear where he thinks Democratic leadership is headed.
&#8220;Mamdani is about to become the leader of the party. I mean, there&#8217;s no doubt, he is speaking for the core of the new far-left base of the Democrat party,&#8221; Scalise said.
Scalise was referencing Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist and frontrunner in the New York City mayoral race who has<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdanis-campaign-caught-in-foreign-donation-scandal" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reportedly</a> faced criticism over nearly $13,000 in foreign contributions that may breach campaign finance laws.
Scalise went on to say that the power center of the party has shifted firmly to the socialist Left.
“They&#8217;re either endorsing him or quietly meeting with him, but there is not a single prominent Democrat who&#8217;s denounced the vile things he said about Israel, about [the] October 7 attacks from Hamas two years ago, any of that because they&#8217;re scared to death of him, because he&#8217;s about to be the leader of their party.&#8221;
Johnson pointed out that while some say this is great news for Republicans because they now have a &#8220;foil,&#8221; it’s still “terribly dangerous for the future of our country to have a rise of actual open Marxists now being elected to office.&#8221; Johnson also stressed that it’s “something that we’ve got to confront head on.”
Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger also pointed to a glaring absence of Democratic leadership, asking, “Where are the veterans who served standing up to say, ‘enough is enough’?”
He pressed further by questioning why Democrats with military backgrounds, or those with family members serving, aren’t stepping forward to say the same.
&#8220;Why are we not doing the right thing? It&#8217;s because they&#8217;re caving and bowing down to this radical side that has shown that they have the aptitude for violence, that has shown that they have a desire for an anarchist mentality, and it&#8217;s really dangerous,&#8221; Pfluger said.
Pfluger argued that Democrats have made a critical miscalculation regarding President Trump.
&#8220;What a contrast between what they&#8217;re doing, which is obstructing any and all prosperity and security measures that the United States can take, and here&#8217;s President Trump, who&#8217;s jumping in, and he&#8217;s closing a major and historic peace deal in the Middle East, bringing together so many different countries and solving an issue that nobody else can solve,&#8221; Pfluger said.
Despite ongoing obstruction from the “radical Left,” Pfluger said the president is relentlessly pushing forward.
He believes Democrats “miscalculated” the government shutdown because Trump “just keeps on going,” making progress on the agenda “that the American people so desperately elected him to do.”
Scalise said Republicans will continue to work to “get the facts out — whether the mainstream media covers it or not.”
“We&#8217;re going to keep fighting and glad President Trump is continuing to do his job, despite the Democrats trying every day to block everything he does,” Scalise said.
Another vote for the Senate to pass the House-passed continuing resolution to reopen the government is expected to take place Tuesday evening, around 5:30 p.m.

Mike Johnson 9/10/25

Speaker Johnson Says Dems Are ‘Wandering In The Wilderness’ With No Leader And No Platform

Steve Scalise

House Speaker Mike Johnson unloaded on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer during a Sunday morning interview, saying that the New York Senator was being intentionally dishonest about which party was driving the ongoing government shutdown.
Johnson joined anchor Shannon Bream on &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; to discuss the shutdown and whether or not the end was in sight, and he argued that Schumer was allowing the federal government to stay closed in order to protect himself from the backlash he got for moving to keep the government open and avert the last potential shutdown in March.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> on the Democrat shutdown: &#8220;Chuck Schumer, when he voted for the EXACT SAME measure back in March, took a lot of heat from the left of his party, and he doesn&#8217;t want to sustain that any longer. So, he&#8217;s doing this and inflicting pain for his own selfish reasons.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ZN8YS74p0C">pic.twitter.com/ZN8YS74p0C</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977378948355891452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Johnson first responded to Schumer&#8217;s repeated claims that Republicans could reopen the government any time they wanted to because they controlled the House, the White House, and the Senate.
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&#8220;Chuck Schumer is incapable of telling the truth right now,&#8221; Johnson began. &#8220;I mean, he&#8217;s been in Congress for 44 years, Shannon, I mean almost half a century. He knows this is basic civics. Every eighth grade civics student can point out the fallacy in what he just said. It requires 60 votes in the Senate to get this through. We only have 53 Republicans. We&#8217;ve got to have a handful of Democrats in the Senate who apply common sense and agree to reopen the government so that we can continue all these discussions.&#8221;
Johnson went on to point out that the Continuing Resolution on the table – which would reopen the government temporarily and has already been passed by the House — would keep the current levels of spending as they are and give Congress time to negotiate any changes.
&#8220;We just need seven more weeks to finish it, and right now they&#8217;re eating up the clock. They&#8217;re doing this for political cover,&#8221; Johnson explained. &#8220;Chuck Schumer, when he voted for the EXACT SAME measure back in March, took a lot of heat from the left of his party, and he doesn&#8217;t want to sustain that any longer. So, he&#8217;s doing this and inflicting pain for his own selfish reasons.&#8221;

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA)

Mike Johnson Unloads On Schumer, Says Senate Dem Is ‘Inflicting Pain For His Own Selfish Reasons’

Mike Johnson Unloads On Schumer, Says Senate Dem Is 'Inflicting Pain For His Own Selfish Reasons'

Schumer Shutdown

shutdown-liveblog-redblue_720

SHUTDOWN UPDATES: Firings Begin, Trump Vows To Protect Military Pay

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

Hakeem Jeffries

Karoline Leavitt

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

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” with host Jake Tapper on Sunday and defended the recent indictment of former FBI head James Comey.
Tapper pressed Johnson on the indictment, asking if it was proper for a president “to publicly or privately instruct their Attorney General to prosecute a political opponent,” but Johnson pushed back.
“As a constitutional attorney and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, do you believe it&#8217;s acceptable for any president to publicly or privately instruct their attorney general to prosecute a political opponent and go as far as firing a U.S. attorney if they don’t bring charges because they don’t think the case is strong enough?” Tapper asked.
Johnson rebutted Tapper, noting that it wasn’t the president who indicted Comey, but a grand jury of his peers.
“I’m glad you brought up the principle, that is exactly what’s at issue here. James Comey lied to Congress. He took an oath. He said things to Congress that were simply not true. It’s called perjury. A grand jury … a non-partisan, non-biased grand jury that was assembled looked at the charges and they agreed. They voted to bring an indictment of James Comey &#8212; not President Trump, not the DOJ, but a grand jury,” Johnson said. “That’s how our system works. It’s a very important principle for us to apply that everybody has to subscribe to the law — even a former FBI director. And he has lots to answer for.”
Johnson added that there were “many things” over which Comey could have been indicted, but the statutes of limitations ran out.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
CNN’s Jake Tapper: “As a constitutional attorney and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, do you believe it&#8217;s acceptable for any president to publicly or privately instruct their Attorney General to prosecute a political opponent and go as far as firing a US attorney if… <a href="https://t.co/8fE3Fk04pi">pic.twitter.com/8fE3Fk04pi</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWave_Press/status/1972291949630497196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Comey was indicted on Thursday by a grand jury for allegedly lying under oath.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout</a>
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/comey-indicted-for-lying-to-congress-no-one-is-above-the-law?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Comey+Indicted+For+Lying+To+Congress%3A+‘No+One+Is+Above+The+Law’">indictment</a> stems from statements the former FBI head made to Congress in September 2020 when he testified regarding his handling of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to the <a href="https://x.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1971357752443404605">indictment</a>. Comey’s indictment comes just days ahead of a major deadline: September 30, when the statute of limitations was set to expire on claims made by Comey during the 2020 hearing.
Comey is the first former senior administration official to be indicted in connection with the Russian collusion conspiracy and the FBI investigation into false ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Speaker Johnson Pushes Back On CNN Host’s Claim That Trump Forced Comey Indictment

Jake Tapper

James Comey

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

Nearly 60 Democrats on Friday voted against a resolution from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to honor conservative commentator Charlie Kirk and condemn all political violence. 
The resolution, which denounced the assassination of Kirk in Utah last week, <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025282">passed</a> the House with a 310-58 vote. All Republicans and 95 Democrats voted in favor, while 58 Democrats voted against it and 38 voted present. 
Johnson’s resolution “honors the life, leadership, and legacy of Charlie Kirk, whose steadfast dedication to the Constitution, civil discourse, and Biblical truth inspired a generation to cherish and defend the blessings of liberty.”
It also calls upon “all Americans — regardless of race, party affiliation, or creed — to reject political violence, recommit to respectful debate, uphold American values, and respect one another as fellow Americans.”
In a speech, Johnson <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-oppose-resolution-honoring-charlie-kirk-condemning-political-rcna232150">said</a> that after political debates, Kirk would “reach out a hand of friendship or offer an arm around the shoulder of someone who he had just defeated in a contest.”
“Why? Because it wasn’t about winning … the policy arguments. It was about the people,” he said. “And Charlie loved vigorous debate, but he loved people more.”
Prominent Democrats who voted against the resolution included Reps. Jasmine Crockett (Texas), Pramila Jayapal (Washington), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York), Rashida Tlaib (Michigan), and Ilhan Omar (Minnesota). 
During debate on the floor, Ocasio-Cortez attacked Kirk over his political views, labeling him a racist. 
“His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans — far from ‘working tirelessly to promote unity’ as asserted by the majority in this resolution,” she <a href="https://x.com/AOC/status/1969074559602110509">wrote</a> on X. “We can condemn his horrific assassination and the scourge of political violence without uplifting these ideas.”
House Democrat leadership agreed Thursday that they would vote in support of Johnson’s resolution.
Earlier this year, a <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025179?RollCallNum=179&amp;BillNum=H.RES.519" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a> to condemn the assassination of Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband passed unanimously, with all Republicans voting in support.
The Senate on Thursday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charlie-kirks-birthday-officially-recognized-by-senate-as-national-day-of-remembrance?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Charlie+Kirk’s+Birthday+Officially+Recognized+By+Senate+As+‘National+Day+Of+Remembrance’">passed</a> a resolution to recognize Kirk’s birthday on October 14 as the “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.” The resolution passed unanimously and is essentially a ceremonial move, as it lacks the authority of law.
A memorial service for Kirk is set for Sunday in Glendale, Arizona, that will feature remarks from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other administration officials.

Big City Mayors Testify At House Hearing On Sanctuary Cities And Immigration

AOC, Dozens Of House Democrats Vote Against Resolution Condemning Kirk Assassination

Charlie Kirk

House of Representatives

Ilhan Omar

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