Trump Warns: Democrats Driving America Toward Another Painful Shutdown

Paul Riverbank, 1/23/2026Congress faces another shutdown standoff as immigration debates and partisan divides intensify on Capitol Hill.

President Trump, never one to downplay a looming fight, didn’t bother with diplomatic hedging in a recent Fox News hit. “I think we have a problem, because I think we’re going to probably end up in another Democrat shutdown,” he declared, eyes narrowed. “The [prior] shutdown cost us a lot, and I think they’ll probably do it again.” He leaves the sentence hanging, his gaze lingering somewhere between prediction and provocation.

Memories of last year’s bruising 43-day shutdown—record-setting and demoralizing—haven’t faded. Some staffers still joke that the vending machines on the Hill haven’t completely recovered. It’s the kind of memory that lingers, coloring every debate, every late-night meeting.

Progress, at least on paper, moved in fits and starts. Six budget bills passed out of a required dozen—better than nothing, but not enough to inspire confidence. The House recently bundled together funding for the State Department and Treasury, sending it to the Senate. There were handshakes all around, but no one held those smiles for long.

Then came the stumbling block: the Department of Homeland Security, and specifically, ICE’s budget. That word—immigration—doesn’t so much divide as split the room right down the center, over and over. Minneapolis still pulsed in everyone’s memory after an ICE raid left an unarmed woman dead. The outrage in the House was palpable, raw in a way Capitol debates rarely admit.

Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, voice tight with frustration, said what many in her party were griping in private. “It is impossible to ignore the impact that ICE’s conduct had in completing this bill. This is a rogue agency.” Her words drew sharp lines. Predictably, Republicans bristled, swinging the narrative back to national security and the need to give “law enforcement the tools to do the job.”

Negotiators, exhausted and unsatisfied, hammered out a compromise. ICE’s funding fell by $115 million. There would be 5,500 fewer detention beds. Democrats eked out a $20 million provision for body cameras and demanded more reporting and stricter training standards. Republicans managed to shield some operational priorities. For all the noise, these compromises pleased almost no one.

Still, the clock keeps ticking. The Senate stares down a pile of unfinished work—territory both familiar and draining. There’s talk of snowstorms, beds in cloakrooms, and fresh pots of coffee. The old hands make dark jokes about “regular order,” that bygone era when budgeting didn’t require brinkmanship or breathless cable-news countdowns.

Underneath the procedural slog lies something tougher: the vision question. Beyond budgets and line items, the immigration debate is really about America’s self-image—and those answers depend on who’s holding the mic at any given hour.

Meanwhile, outside Washington, patience wears thin. If Congress hits the rocks, Americans will notice right away: paychecks stutter, park gates click shut, research projects stall on lab benches. There’s nothing theoretical here.

Capitol Hill isn’t immune to déjà vu, but nobody wants a rerun of last winter. As the deadline creeps closer, lawmakers and staffers alike check their calendars, wondering if history’s about to echo—no matter how hard they try to tune it out.

It’s January, and the air in Congress feels both brisk and brittle—a subtle electric charge only seasoned lawmakers and anxious aides can truly sense. Each hurried footstep falls heavy. The echo in those marbled halls says as much as the debate itself. No one’s in the mood for pleasantries; there’s a deadline looming, and it eats up the oxygen in every conversation: January 30.President Trump, never one to downplay a looming fight, didn’t bother with diplomatic hedging in a recent Fox News hit. “I think we have a problem, because I think we’re going to probably end up in another Democrat shutdown,” he declared, eyes narrowed. “The [prior] shutdown cost us a lot, and I think they’ll probably do it again.” He leaves the sentence hanging, his gaze lingering somewhere between prediction and provocation.Memories of last year’s bruising 43-day shutdown—record-setting and demoralizing—haven’t faded. Some staffers still joke that the vending machines on the Hill haven’t completely recovered. It’s the kind of memory that lingers, coloring every debate, every late-night meeting.Progress, at least on paper, moved in fits and starts. Six budget bills passed out of a required dozen—better than nothing, but not enough to inspire confidence. The House recently bundled together funding for the State Department and Treasury, sending it to the Senate. There were handshakes all around, but no one held those smiles for long.Then came the stumbling block: the Department of Homeland Security, and specifically, ICE’s budget. That word—immigration—doesn’t so much divide as split the room right down the center, over and over. Minneapolis still pulsed in everyone’s memory after an ICE raid left an unarmed woman dead. The outrage in the House was palpable, raw in a way Capitol debates rarely admit.Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, voice tight with frustration, said what many in her party were griping in private. “It is impossible to ignore the impact that ICE’s conduct had in completing this bill. This is a rogue agency.” Her words drew sharp lines. Predictably, Republicans bristled, swinging the narrative back to national security and the need to give “law enforcement the tools to do the job.”Negotiators, exhausted and unsatisfied, hammered out a compromise. ICE’s funding fell by $115 million. There would be 5,500 fewer detention beds. Democrats eked out a $20 million provision for body cameras and demanded more reporting and stricter training standards. Republicans managed to shield some operational priorities. For all the noise, these compromises pleased almost no one.Still, the clock keeps ticking. The Senate stares down a pile of unfinished work—territory both familiar and draining. There’s talk of snowstorms, beds in cloakrooms, and fresh pots of coffee. The old hands make dark jokes about “regular order,” that bygone era when budgeting didn’t require brinkmanship or breathless cable-news countdowns.Underneath the procedural slog lies something tougher: the vision question. Beyond budgets and line items, the immigration debate is really about America’s self-image—and those answers depend on who’s holding the mic at any given hour.Meanwhile, outside Washington, patience wears thin. If Congress hits the rocks, Americans will notice right away: paychecks stutter, park gates click shut, research projects stall on lab benches. There’s nothing theoretical here.Capitol Hill isn’t immune to déjà vu, but nobody wants a rerun of last winter. As the deadline creeps closer, lawmakers and staffers alike check their calendars, wondering if history’s about to echo—no matter how hard they try to tune it out.