In Australia, such imagery would be political poison at a time like this; in the US, it is much less potent. Still, Trump is vulnerable to Democratic attacks that he is partying with billionaires while the home front burns.
“People aren’t as dumb as Trump thinks,” Democratic senator Chris Murphy said overnight. “They know he’s busy doing ego-stroking world tours and building his ballroom. Everything but trying to end the shutdown.”
Trump’s lavish Mar-a-Lago Halloween party has drawn criticism from Democrats as food relief for 42 million Americans is cut off.Credit: AP
Trump’s unpopularity may partly explain why this shutdown has not yet followed the usual trajectory in which the side making demands – the Democrats – eventually caves.
The Dems are insisting Republicans extend healthcare subsidies that are due to expire at the end of this year. Republicans accuse their opponents of holding the country to ransom over an issue they say should be dealt with separately.
Many Republicans believe the Democrats will fold after Tuesday’s elections, which include the New York City mayoral contest and gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey. The wisdom there is that Democrats are appealing to their base, which wants them to fight Trump all the way.
Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said it was actually fear. “[Democrat leaders] fear political retribution from the far-left activists in their party more than they fear the consequences of keeping the government closed for weeks on end,” he told reporters on Monday (Tuesday AEDT). “It is extremism on the left that is the direct cause of American suffering right now.”
“It is extremism on the left that is the direct cause of American suffering right now”: House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson.Credit: Bloomberg
Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democrats in the House, says people receiving healthcare benefits want the party to keep fighting, and the Democrats’ position won’t change in November after the elections.
But the long shutdown is testing loyalties on both sides. Three Democratic senators have agreed to pass the Republicans’ proposal to end the shutdown now; five more are needed. Overnight, The Hill reported eight Democratic senators were engaged in discussions with Republicans on a potential deal.
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And firebrand Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has become an unlikely face of resistance against the party’s leadership, criticising Johnson in particular for failing to come up with ideas to resolve the impasse over healthcare, and for keeping the House in a prolonged recess.
Ultimately, it’s a high-risk play on all sides. It appears Democrats have been able to rally their political base without alienating the rest of the country – so far. Trump is betting the normal state of affairs will ultimately prevail, and the Democrats will be forced to cave.
Meanwhile, average people are forced to face the consequences.
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