The Schumer shutdown is over, and Democrats are trying to spin this as a win. It’s not. The outrage and the fury that poured from House Democrats when their counterparts in the Senate caved was earth-shattering. Eight Democratic Senators joined Republicans to break the logjam. The deal to reopen the government then breezed through both chambers. It funded the government through January 30 to finalize the dozen-plus appropriations bill,s which got derailed by the shutdown, keeps SNAP benefits funded through September 2026, and guarantees a vote on the Obamacare subsidies. It’s what Republicans offered in mid-October. The Democrats got rolled.
Trump and the Republicans weren’t going to roll over on their demand for $1.5 trillion for illegal alien health care benefits and NPR funding. Democrats claimed this shutdown helped them win two elections in blue states. As it turns out, it’s more nuanced, a word that Democrats cannot grasp. Their capitulation only added frustration among swing voters in Georgia (via Axios):
Georgia swing voters in our latest Engagious/Sago focus groups expressed frustration with Democrats for dragging out a federal government shutdown only to end it without a guarantee from Republicans to offset rising health insurance premiums.
Why it matters: Even some voters who backed President Trump last November look to Democrats to protect health care affordability and the social safety net for lower-income Americans.
What they're saying: Seven of the 13 Biden-to-Trump Georgia swing voters in this week's panels said Democrats came out of the shutdown looking worse than Republicans. Two said Republicans look worse and four said both parties look equally bad.
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"Democrats gave swing voters — who already hold the party in profoundly low esteem — yet another reason to mistrust them," said Rich Thau, President of Engagious, who moderated the focus groups.
The big picture: Eight of the 13 said they still approve of the administration's actions on balance since Trump's return to office in January.
The five who expressed overall disapproval cited inflation, high food costs, a bad job market, over-the-top immigration enforcement and their sense that Trump and his team aren't approaching their governing role seriously.
The good news is that Trump and his administration have time to sort out these criticisms, some of which are warranted. As for some of the economic points, that’s a messaging war. Republicans do need to talk more about prices dropping, because they are. They could be better, and with this shutdown behind us, Trump’s crew can get to work. Meanwhile, Chuck Schumer is battered and bloody, and he could be mulling retirement come 2028. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is facing a crisis of his own, namely, fellow Democrats not promising to back him as leader after the midterms.
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