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Trump is pushing Democrats harder to end the fight and approve the Republican plan to reopen the government.
By ZW News|October 04, 2025
On Friday, President Trump’s team stopped $2.1 billion in funding for Chicago’s public transportation. This is another instance of cutting funds to a city run by Democrats. This action occurred after the Senate again failed to end the government shutdown.
On the third day of the shutdown, Trump increased pressure on Democrats to agree to a Republican plan to restart government funding. However, the Senate vote of 54-44 fell short of the 60 votes needed, meaning the shutdown will continue until at least Monday.
The government has stopped at least $28 billion in funds for cities and states that usually vote Democrat. This increases Trump’s effort to use the government’s power to punish political opponents. Budget director Russ Vought said money for Chicago, meant for train lines, was stopped to ensure it wasn’t being used for contracts based on race. Trump often criticizes Chicago and has threatened to send in troops.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Trump critic who might run for president in 2028, said the funding freeze is like holding the money hostage. He said it’s trying to get political points but instead hurts the economy and people who need public transit.
The White House mentioned it was finding money to possibly take away from Portland, Oregon. Portland is a liberal city where big protests happened during Trump’s first time as president. Trump has also said he might fire more federal employees, on top of the 300,000 he’s already getting rid of this year. A secret White House source says many government departments have made plans to cut staff.
Worries about a ‘dishonest situation’
Many Republicans aren’t worried about Trump pushing to control spending, even though it weakens Congress’ power. Trump and his supporters are also posting images on social media that mock Democrats with cartoon drawings.
When asked if Trump was pressuring people, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said, “Yes, he probably is, and I support that.”
However, others say these spending cuts make it harder to reach an agreement to reopen the government. Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who is helping with negotiations, said it creates distrust. Tillis has decided not to run for re-election next year.
So far, Trump has blocked funding for transit and green energy projects, which Democrats strongly support. His administration also tried to cut anti-terrorism money for states run by Democrats, even though Republicans usually prioritize this. A court temporarily stopped this, and Trump restored $187 million in funding for New York on Friday.
A quick fix is unlikely
In Washington, the Senate didn’t approve either the Republican or Democratic funding ideas and will meet again on Monday. The House won’t be working next week, so they can’t vote on any agreement the Senate makes. If the shutdown lasts past Monday, it’ll be one of the longest in US history. The longest was 35 days long, during Trump’s first term.
Trump tried to influence Democrats, but it didn’t work. Only three voted for the Republican plan, which would fund things until November 21, the same as before. Democrats say any funding deal must also continue healthcare help from the pandemic, which ends in December. Republicans want to handle that separately. This help was part of a Democratic COVID plan in 2021 and now helps 24 million Americans pay for insurance.
Almost 80% of Americans want to keep it, says a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. This disagreement has stopped about $1.7 trillion in funds for government operations, about a quarter of yearly federal spending. Most of the rest goes to health, retirement, and interest on the $37.5 trillion debt.
Services are down
This government shutdown, the 15th since 1981, has stopped scientific research, financial rules, and many other things. About 2 million federal workers aren’t getting paid, but soldiers, airport security, and others seen as ‘essential’ still have to work.
Because of the shutdown, the government didn’t release its monthly jobs report, making Wall Street unsure about the economy. A long shutdown could mess up air travel and food help for millions of Americans, and might force federal courts to close. Federal workers won’t get paid around mid-October if the problem isn’t fixed by then.
