The Midnight Coup: How Democrats Crashed the U.S. Government

The Democrats have slammed the brakes on governance, orchestrating a federal shutdown that’s left the country reeling.

In a brazen display of political sabotage, 44 Senate Democrats voted Tuesday to torpedo a House-passed spending plan, hours before the midnight deadline, triggering a full government shutdown at 12:01 a.m. EST — the first since 2013.

The Senate vote, 55-45, fell short of the 60 votes needed to pass the clean continuing resolution (CR) that would have kept the government humming for seven weeks.

Only three Democrats — Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and Angus King of Maine — crossed party lines to support it.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky joined the Democrat blockade, voting against the bill.

"Americans are hurting with higher costs," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, whined after the vote, deflecting blame for the chaos he engineered.

This shutdown stems from Democrats’ refusal to accept Biden-era spending levels, extended through September 30, 2025, in a March CR.

With Trump in the White House, those levels are suddenly unacceptable to Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, who’s complicit in this scheme.

Only one House Democrat backed the CR on September 19.

The Democrats’ gambit? Demand $1.5 trillion in COVID-era Obamacare subsidies in a short-term bill — a non-starter for Republicans.

"Republicans want to resolve the health care issues that concern Democrats but will not negotiate until the government reopens," Vice President JD Vance said on Fox News’ Fox & Friends. "It’s craziness, and people are going to suffer because of this."

The fallout is brutal: 750,000 federal workers face furloughs, with Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, led by Russ Vought, directing agencies to consider permanent layoffs.

The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo days before the deadline that said agencies should consider a "reduction in force" for many federal programs.

Smithsonian museums may shutter by Monday, and national parks risk safety issues.

Trump warned of cuts to programs Democrats cherish, saying, "We’ll do things that are irreversible, that are bad."

Deportations will surge, while education and environmental services falter.

Democrats’ health care obsession is a calculated distraction for the 2026 midterms, but it’s backfiring.

A New York Times poll shows 65% of voters, including most Democrats, oppose the shutdown.

"They want to fight Trump. A lot of good people are going to be hurt because of this," House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, told CNBC Tuesday.

Republicans, controlling the White House, House, and Senate, see no reason to cave.