White House Mocks Democrats Over Shutdown: 'They're Totally Screwed'
The administration believes that the opposition is ready to face the consequences of their actions.
TroibNews 
Senate Democrats have not yet conceded in the battle over a government shutdown, but White House officials are already expressing confidence about turning the tables on them, almost challenging them to vote "no."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer made a bold statement on Wednesday, asserting that Republicans lack the 60 votes necessary to keep the government running past Friday. However, senior White House officials, including President Donald Trump, are growing increasingly optimistic that Schumer will eventually release enough moderate Democrats to facilitate the passage of the resolution, according to multiple White House sources I consulted in the past day.
“They're 100 percent gonna swallow it,” one White House official stated. “They’re totally screwed.”
This confidence is particularly striking given that Schumer has not yet outlined his strategy. Many legislators from both parties privately believe that some compromise will emerge, wherein Senate Democrats will agree to amendment votes in exchange for allowing the House-passed “continuing resolution” to move forward and be finalized.
Nonetheless, this outcome is not guaranteed. With considerable pressure from their base to oppose Trump, Democrats still have ample opportunity to retract from a potential agreement before the critical Friday deadline.
The administration appears almost eager for a shutdown, seemingly daring Democrats to take a risky step forward. Last month, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought notably instructed agencies to submit plans for “large-scale reductions in force” by Thursday. These details could emerge just hours before a shutdown and would likely further inflame the Democratic base.
Additionally, Republicans felt secure enough to pass the so-called “CR” with several provisions that benefit them, including increased funding for defense and deportations, alongside minor spending cuts and constraints on Democrats' ability to challenge Trump’s controversial tariff policies.
This posture from the White House could be seen as overconfidence that borders on arrogance. Typically, in standoffs like this—where essential legislation requires votes from the opposing party—there’s a level of outreach, often led by the president himself.
However, Trump chose not to extend any olive branches this week. Instead, during an Oval Office bilateral meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, he launched a personal attack on Schumer, dismissing him as “no longer Jewish” and labeling him a Palestinian.
Despite needing eight Senate Democrats to pass the proposed measure, the White House has not reached out to any of them thus far.
The White House’s rationale is straightforward: they believe that Trump and the GOP can emerge victorious from this shutdown debate, regardless of the outcome. Even though Vice President JD Vance privately communicated to House Republicans that the GOP would likely face the backlash if a shutdown were to happen since they control the government, this appears to have been more of a rallying cry for GOP lawmakers to support the CR, rather than a genuine assessment of the political landscape.
On the contrary, White House officials boldly asserted their belief that while Elon Musk has faced criticism for laying off tens of thousands of workers, it would be the Democrats who bear the burden of blame if over 2 million federal employees were furloughed, tax returns delayed, and other crucial programs suspended due to a shutdown.
“The margin we put up [Tuesday] in the House, they completely own it if they shut down the government. And if they do shut down … they'll get colossally murdered for it,” the aforementioned official explained. “It was an epic jam.”
Another reason the White House remains untroubled by the prospect of a shutdown is that senior officials agree that as funds dwindle, the Trump administration—specifically Vought, the long-time conservative focused on cost-cutting now leading OMB—would enjoy unprecedented latitude in determining which agencies remain operational and which do not.
This sentiment carries weight, as I discussed in a column last month where I first advised Democrats that the shutdown confrontation is not the leverage point they believe it to be. I noted that it was actually a federal bureaucrat back in 1980 who established the current guidelines for operating during a shutdown, suggesting that another bureaucrat could easily modify those rules to serve their own interests.
It's not difficult to envision Musk wielding a chainsaw while Vought finds his hammer.
A shutdown instigated by Democrats would pose additional challenges for the party: they have spent weeks criticizing Trump and Musk for undermining the government, and now they would need to argue that they are defending the government by initiating a shutdown.
Good luck persuading anyone outside the Democratic base of that narrative.
While many Senate Democrats may align with this perspective, it's also possible that Trump and the White House could miscalculate their strategy. After all, Friday at midnight is a considerable distance away, and if they persist in provoking the situation, the consequences could be unpredictable.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer made a bold statement on Wednesday, asserting that Republicans lack the 60 votes necessary to keep the government running past Friday. However, senior White House officials, including President Donald Trump, are growing increasingly optimistic that Schumer will eventually release enough moderate Democrats to facilitate the passage of the resolution, according to multiple White House sources I consulted in the past day.
“They're 100 percent gonna swallow it,” one White House official stated. “They’re totally screwed.”
This confidence is particularly striking given that Schumer has not yet outlined his strategy. Many legislators from both parties privately believe that some compromise will emerge, wherein Senate Democrats will agree to amendment votes in exchange for allowing the House-passed “continuing resolution” to move forward and be finalized.
Nonetheless, this outcome is not guaranteed. With considerable pressure from their base to oppose Trump, Democrats still have ample opportunity to retract from a potential agreement before the critical Friday deadline.
The administration appears almost eager for a shutdown, seemingly daring Democrats to take a risky step forward. Last month, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought notably instructed agencies to submit plans for “large-scale reductions in force” by Thursday. These details could emerge just hours before a shutdown and would likely further inflame the Democratic base.
Additionally, Republicans felt secure enough to pass the so-called “CR” with several provisions that benefit them, including increased funding for defense and deportations, alongside minor spending cuts and constraints on Democrats' ability to challenge Trump’s controversial tariff policies.
This posture from the White House could be seen as overconfidence that borders on arrogance. Typically, in standoffs like this—where essential legislation requires votes from the opposing party—there’s a level of outreach, often led by the president himself.
However, Trump chose not to extend any olive branches this week. Instead, during an Oval Office bilateral meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, he launched a personal attack on Schumer, dismissing him as “no longer Jewish” and labeling him a Palestinian.
Despite needing eight Senate Democrats to pass the proposed measure, the White House has not reached out to any of them thus far.
The White House’s rationale is straightforward: they believe that Trump and the GOP can emerge victorious from this shutdown debate, regardless of the outcome. Even though Vice President JD Vance privately communicated to House Republicans that the GOP would likely face the backlash if a shutdown were to happen since they control the government, this appears to have been more of a rallying cry for GOP lawmakers to support the CR, rather than a genuine assessment of the political landscape.
On the contrary, White House officials boldly asserted their belief that while Elon Musk has faced criticism for laying off tens of thousands of workers, it would be the Democrats who bear the burden of blame if over 2 million federal employees were furloughed, tax returns delayed, and other crucial programs suspended due to a shutdown.
“The margin we put up [Tuesday] in the House, they completely own it if they shut down the government. And if they do shut down … they'll get colossally murdered for it,” the aforementioned official explained. “It was an epic jam.”
Another reason the White House remains untroubled by the prospect of a shutdown is that senior officials agree that as funds dwindle, the Trump administration—specifically Vought, the long-time conservative focused on cost-cutting now leading OMB—would enjoy unprecedented latitude in determining which agencies remain operational and which do not.
This sentiment carries weight, as I discussed in a column last month where I first advised Democrats that the shutdown confrontation is not the leverage point they believe it to be. I noted that it was actually a federal bureaucrat back in 1980 who established the current guidelines for operating during a shutdown, suggesting that another bureaucrat could easily modify those rules to serve their own interests.
It's not difficult to envision Musk wielding a chainsaw while Vought finds his hammer.
A shutdown instigated by Democrats would pose additional challenges for the party: they have spent weeks criticizing Trump and Musk for undermining the government, and now they would need to argue that they are defending the government by initiating a shutdown.
Good luck persuading anyone outside the Democratic base of that narrative.
While many Senate Democrats may align with this perspective, it's also possible that Trump and the White House could miscalculate their strategy. After all, Friday at midnight is a considerable distance away, and if they persist in provoking the situation, the consequences could be unpredictable.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
