White House officials, at the start of the shutdown, were certain the Trump administration was better positioned to battle the left during a funding lapse.
In early October, several Trump administration officials had a friendly pool going of how long the shutdown would last. The White House, at the time, was confident Democrats would quickly fold.
No one guessed more than 10 days.
The account, relayed by a person close to the White House granted anonymity to discuss internal thinking, underscores just how much the administration miscalculated the Democrats’ will to keep the government closed even amid furloughs and imperiled social programs like food assistance.
As the shutdown heads into its second month, Donald Trump is increasingly frustrated. On Thursday, he called for Republicans to abolish the filibuster to reopen the government — a plea he knows is futile, but that demonstrates his growing irritation with Democrats, said a second person close to the White House.
I remain as shocked as you. When Trump was the candidate in 2024 I figured Kamala’s victory was guaranteed. What I’ve come to realize in recent years is that USAmericans are fundamentally unwise. They really vote based on what they feel in the moment, hence why as the country gets worse, the elections keep flip-flopping.
Trump lost in 2020 because of Covid-19 and won in 2024 because of “grocery prices” and being the opposite major party to the current guy. The fact that he’s an insurrectionist rapist conman who pioneered division and destruction just doesn’t matter to them. The 2016-2020 term? The Pandemic he failed to maintain? Forgotten about. The embarrassments in the Republican-held congress? Most voters don’t even recall them. How any of us live with this is beyond me. It’s like being held hostage by self destructive parents.