Yesterday’s White House Meeting to Avoid the Shutdown Didn’t Go Well

There really wasn’t much doubt where this was headed even before Democrats and Republicans met with the president yesterday afternoon at the White House. But whatever doubt remained was gone afterwards when President Trump posted this AI generated video of Sen. Schumer and Rep. Jeffries.

President Trump is trolling Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries over their obsession with giving free healthcare to criminal aliens

Once-in-a-lifetime president 🤣
pic.twitter.com/i3Hh5uLxHo

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 30, 2025

Schumer responded with a tweet aimed at Trump.

If you think your shutdown is a joke, it just proves what we all know: You can’t negotiate. You can only throw tantrums. https://t.co/d1QrMSeAh7

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 30, 2025

Rep. Jeffries responded by daring President Trump to say it to his face.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries responds to AI video Trump posted mocking him and Chuck Schumer: “The next time you have something to say to 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.” pic.twitter.com/B9oUzVTmF6

— Veronica Stracqualursi (@VeronicaStrac) September 30, 2025

Clearly there is no love lost on either side of this argument. For the record, the AI video wasn’t the only response from the White House. After the meeting, VP Vance came outside the White House and made the case against the shutdown, though he said he had no doubt it was going to happen.

“You don’t put a gun to the American people’s head and say, unless you do exactly what Senate and House Democrats want you to do, we’re going to shut down your government,” he said.

Vice President @JDVance comes out minutes after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pitched a fit about Republicans not caving to their demands ahead of a government shutdown.

“We have disagreements…but you don’t shut the government… pic.twitter.com/EEfW8A1wGM

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 29, 2025

At midnight last night, the White House posted a countdown clock warning there were only 24 hours left.

24 hours until the Democrat shutdown.

Time starts now.⏳ pic.twitter.com/cKzd5THlhm

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 30, 2025

Today, Republican leaders are out there making the case that Democrats deserve blame for this looming shutdown which will take effect at midnight tonight. Here’s Speaker Johnson arguing that Sen. Schumer’s real motivation is to avoid a challenge by AOC.

What happens if Democrats SHUT DOWN the govt?

🚨 TROOPS unpaid
🚨 TSA agents unpaid
🚨 WIC & food assistance delayed
🚨 FEMA OFFLINE during hurricane season

They will OWN the consequences of a shutdown – all because the Democrats are terrified of their win FAR-LEFT radical… pic.twitter.com/ev6pzj21aT

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) September 30, 2025

Sen. Thune is on the Senate floor making the case to pass the CR.

Democrats have a choice to make:

They can shut down the government and subject the American people to all the problems that come with a government shutdown.

Or they can join Republicans to pass a clean, nonpartisan funding bill and keep the lights on here in Washington. pic.twitter.com/HZphsNrqkk

— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) September 30, 2025

Democrats will get one more chance to take an off-ramp tonight when Republicans bring the CR up for a vote again. In theory this could end then but in reality no one thinks it’s going to happen. Democrats are committed to this course, convinced they can pin the blame on Trump.

And judging by some of the comments on this NY Times story, it may work. There are just a lot of people who knee-jerk blame Trump for everything and seem to have no real sense of how any of this works:

“The GOP controls both the House and the Senate, SCOTUS, and the presidency.  If they cant pass a budget, it’s all on them.”

Yes, they control them but they do not have a supermajority in the Senate, hence the Democrats’ leverage to create a shutdown. With insights like this its no wonder Dems think they can win.

“If we stop the tax cheating by the rich there would be plenty of shared wealth for the rest of us and no national debt.”

This is absolute nonsense pressed into liberal brains by years of repetition. That most Dems still don’t think there’s a need to cut spending is a big part of our nation’s problem at this point.

But even among Dems in the comment section at the NY Times there is some nervousness about the fact that Democrats may be out over their skis.

The Democrats should have spent the past two weeks, at least, in an information blitz, detailing what the price of their cooperation will be and WHY.  As it is, they have not invested in public support. Failed again.

Schumer and Jeffries are going full Thelma & Louise this time. They seem to have no plan except to hurt the country in hopes it hurts Trump more than it hurts them.

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