President Trump’s approval ratings are plummeting following a peculiar government shutdown in the United States, leading to an anticipated wave of job losses. Approximately 750,000 workers are poised to be placed on furlough as government operations grind to a halt due to the impasse between Republican and Democratic lawmakers on budget negotiations.
The shutdown is projected to disrupt daily life for Americans throughout October, impacting various sectors such as air travel and national park visits. While most Department of Homeland Security employees will remain on duty, an estimated 14,000 workers may face furloughs.
Although essential health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid are expected to continue operating, staff shortages could result in service delays. Past shutdowns have seen National Parks closed to the public, but during the most recent shutdown, President Trump opted to keep them open with limited staff, leading to instances of vandalism and littering at historic sites.
Critics, including Emily Thompson of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, argue that leaving the parks open without adequate staffing poses risks akin to keeping museums open without curators or airports without air traffic controllers.
According to Professor Natasha Lindstaed from the University of Essex, the government shutdown reflects the deep political divide in the U.S., with Trump’s uncompromising approach exacerbating the situation. Public opinion on the shutdown is mixed, with a recent poll suggesting that 45% of voters blame Republicans for the shutdown, while 32% hold Democrats responsible.
Inderjeet Parmar, a professor of International Politics at City St George’s, University of London, highlighted that the shutdown aligns with Trump’s agenda to streamline the federal government by initiating mass layoffs and reductions in various agencies. The administration’s move to leverage non-lapsed funds for firings, as outlined by the Office of Management and Budget, could impact hundreds of thousands of civilian employees, potentially leading to legal challenges from unions and disputes over backpay.
Parmar believes that Trump aims to shift blame for the shutdown onto the Democrats, framing it as a result of their demands. This partisan rhetoric, unlike previous shutdowns characterized by neutral language, risks eroding public trust. Democrats view the shutdown as a ploy by Trump to undermine healthcare and entitlement programs, which could galvanize their voter base ahead of upcoming elections.
While the shutdown is expected to worsen unemployment, Parmar suggests that Trump might spin it as a victory in combating inefficiency and malpractice. The immediate consequences of the shutdown include unpaid federal workers, closed national parks, delayed government services, and a potential drag on the GDP, affecting Trump’s economic narrative and potentially leading to concessions from Democrats on certain policy issues.
The prolonged chaos resulting from the shutdown poses challenges such as market volatility and potential backlash from voters, particularly in regions heavily impacted by healthcare cost increases.
