The U.S. government entered a shutdown after the Senate failed for a third time to advance a funding bill, plunging federal operations into disarray and setting the stage for imminent federal worker layoffs and widespread furloughs. On the first day of the shutdown, the White House confirmed that agencies were preparing for significant staff reductions, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling firings “imminent.” Congressional auditors estimated that approximately 750,000 federal employees could face furloughs—an enforced leave without pay—each day the shutdown continues, while essential workers such as military personnel and border agents might be forced to work without immediate compensation.

The political blame game intensified rapidly, with both sides accusing the other of obstructing funding. Vice President JD Vance, making a rare appearance, falsely claimed Democrats were responsible for the shutdown, asserting that they demanded billions in healthcare funding for undocumented immigrants—a proposition that is both illegal under U.S. law and was not a Democratic demand. Vance defended the necessity of potential layoffs to maintain essential services, while acknowledging uncertainty regarding specific targets. Conversely, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries countered that President Trump and Republicans deliberately initiated the shutdown to deny healthcare to working-class Americans and to advance an “extreme rightwing agenda,” citing a historical pattern of Republican-led shutdowns.

Beyond the immediate staffing crisis, the Trump administration began implementing targeted financial freezes. Russ Vought, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director, announced holds on approximately $18 billion in infrastructure projects in New York, including the vital Hudson Tunnel Project and the Second Avenue Subway. These actions, impacting the home state of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Jeffries, sparked accusations of selective political retaliation. Vought justified these holds by citing “unconstitutional DEI principles” and also announced the cancellation of nearly $8 billion in clean energy funding, alleging it was intended to fuel the “Left’s climate agenda.” Schumer and Jeffries jointly denounced these moves as President Trump’s “endless campaign of chaos and revenge,” treating working people as collateral damage.

This shutdown marks the first since the record 35-day impasse in 2018-19 during Trump’s initial term, characterized by unusually bitter negotiations. President Trump engaged in social media mockery, posting AI-generated memes depicting Schumer and Jeffries with sombreros and moustaches, accompanied by mariachi music. Vice President Vance defended these tactics as “funny” and a legitimate part of negotiation, even promising to halt the “sombrero memes” if the government reopened. Jeffries, however, condemned the memes as racist, a claim Vance dismissed. Efforts to swiftly resolve the crisis collapsed on Wednesday when Senate Democrats, holding out for extended healthcare subsidies for low-income families, refused to approve a House-passed bill that would have reopened the government for several weeks.

With Congress observing the Yom Kippur holiday, the House remains out until next week, and the Senate will not hold votes again until Friday, at the earliest, guaranteeing the shutdown will last at least three days. Public sentiment reflected divided blame, with a Marist poll indicating 38% of voters blamed congressional Republicans, 27% blamed Democrats, and 31% attributed fault to both parties.