America is staring down another government shutdown—not because of real budget disagreements, but because the president has chosen petulance over leadership. Donald Trump walked away from negotiations he himself had agreed to, then claimed that his opponents demanded open borders, “operations for everybody,” criminals on Medicaid, and other absurdities. These claims are distractions, not facts, and no serious policymaker believes them.
The real priorities at stake are what the American people care about: affordable healthcare, secure Medicare and Medicaid, protecting public health, and continuing critical medical research. Those are issues worth negotiating. Instead of engaging, Trump abandoned the table and spun fantasies to cover his retreat. That is not strength—it is weakness.
Now the White House has escalated even further. Agencies have been told to prepare not just for furloughs but for permanent firings if the government shuts down. This reckless move is intended to intimidate public servants and punish institutions Trump deems disloyal. Experts already warn that such firings are legally and logistically impossible on short notice, revealing yet another hollow threat designed to generate fear, not solutions.
Meanwhile, Trump is publicly trying to shift blame, declaring that any shutdown “pain” will be caused by others, even as his own decisions drive the crisis. And the consequences are real: air traffic controller training will halt, worsening staffing shortages that could cost the aviation industry over $1 billion per week. Federal services across the board will stall. The burden will fall on American families—because one president refuses to sit down and negotiate in good faith.
A shutdown is never desirable. But surrendering to invented demands and empty threats would be far worse. If Congress caves now, it sets a precedent that lies and bullying dictate the nation’s budget. It tells the public that tantrums, not facts, decide policy.
This is the moment to hold the line. Refuse to fund the Trump regime’s agenda without protecting healthcare and public health. Let him own the shutdown he is manufacturing. Show the country that Congress will not be bullied into submission, and that the people’s branch of government still values truth, courage, and the authority granted by the Constitution.
First sent on September 26 by Coleman
