Trump Refuses to End the 33-Day Government Shutdown

Republicans claim that U.S. President Donald Trump is “desperately” trying to end the federal government shutdown, now in its 33rd day, as lawmakers remain deadlocked even on issues that once enjoyed bipartisan support, including food assistance and healthcare.

The last comparable crisis occurred in December 2018 over disagreements about funding the wall on the Mexican border. That shutdown lasted 35 days — the longest in U.S. history.

Republicans hold only 53 seats in the Senate, meaning they need the backing of at least seven Democrats or independents to restart federal operations. Yet since the shutdown began on October 1, only three Democrats have supported the relevant bills.

Trump continues to maintain control of the situation, insisting on the passage of a budget plan that would allow government operations to resume. He rejects both political pressure and federal court rulings urging him to ease the crisis’s impact on vulnerable Americans, while simultaneously claiming he lacks the authority to end the deadlock himself.

“Republicans are voting almost unanimously to end the shutdown, while Democrats keep voting against it,” Trump told the program 60 Minutes on Sunday. “This has never happened before. It’s happened 18 times in the past, and Democrats always voted to keep the government open, saying, ‘Give us a delay, we’ll figure it out.’”

On Friday, two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must use $5 billion in reserve funds to continue payments under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), on which about 42 million low-income Americans depend. The payments were halted on Saturday due to the government shutdown, leaving millions at risk of hunger.

As reported by journalist Ed Pilkington, it remains unclear when—or whether—the payments will resume despite the court rulings. Trump said he is awaiting clarification from the judges regarding the source of the funds.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated that existing funds are insufficient to cover full payments: the food stamp program costs the budget $8.5–9 billion per month. The Trump administration insists the agency has no legal authority to issue payments until Congress passes a spending bill to end the government shutdown.

Trump sharply criticized the court decisions, writing on Truth Social that he does not want “Americans to go hungry just because radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and reopen the government.”

“I have instructed our lawyers to ask the court for clarification on how we can legally fund the SNAP program as soon as possible. Payments are already delayed because Democrats are keeping the government shut down until the date of the monthly disbursements, and even if we receive an immediate order, funds will still arrive late as they’re distributed through the states,” he wrote.

“If the court grants the necessary legal authorization, it will be an honor for me to release these funds—just as I did for our military and law enforcement officers.”