After a grueling 43-day federal government shutdown, Vice President JD Vance has come out swinging, accusing Democrats of inflicting unnecessary hardship on Americans for what he calls a pointless political stunt.
Fox News reported that the shutdown, which ended with President Donald Trump signing funding legislation on Wednesday night, caused missed paychecks for federal workers, airline delays due to air traffic controller shortages, and widespread anxiety over food benefits, only to resolve with a deal Vance claims was on the table weeks earlier.
The ordeal began weeks ago when, according to Vance, top Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer rejected a proposal identical to the one ultimately passed.
“We could have struck this exact deal 45 days ago,” Vance told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday, pointing fingers at Democratic leadership for dragging out the crisis.
His frustration is palpable, and it’s hard not to wonder if partisan posturing took precedence over the well-being of troops, federal workers, and everyday families worrying about their next meal.
The shutdown’s ripple effects were brutal, with flight cancellations piling up and fears mounting over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which supports over 42 million Americans with grocery funds.
President Trump, signaling confidence early in the week, hinted the government would reopen soon as the consequences of lapsed funding snowballed.
Vance praised Trump’s steady hand during the standoff, noting the president’s prediction that Democrats would eventually cave on their “absurd position” proved correct.
By Wednesday night, Trump signed the bill to restore funding at current levels through Jan. 30, buying time to negotiate a longer-term plan for the next fiscal year, while also securing SNAP funding through September.
Interestingly, Vance didn’t paint all Democrats with the same brush, offering a nod to moderate Senate Democrats who stood apart from the partisan fray from the start.
“I do give a lot of credit for the moderate Democrats in the Senate who were with us from the very beginning,” Vance said on “Hannity,” suggesting some across the aisle saw reason even if their leadership didn’t.
Behind closed doors, he claims even some Democrats admitted the far-left stance was untenable, yet felt trapped by their party’s more extreme elements—a dynamic that raises questions about who’s really steering the ship.
Vance didn’t hold back on the political fallout, arguing the shutdown may have dealt a fatal blow to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s career, calling the 43-day debacle a “huge political mistake” for Democrats.
With a wry jab, Vance highlighted a stark contrast in priorities, suggesting Democrats fixated on opposing Trump at all costs while everyday Americans bore the brunt of delayed paychecks and disrupted lives. If this isn’t a wake-up call for voters tired of political gamesmanship, what is?
