Trump Prioritizes Social Media Attacks and Trolling Over Shutdown Negotiations
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!As the US government shutdown entered its second day, President Donald Trump employed a combative, social-media-first strategy, choosing to troll Democrats and lay blame rather than negotiate an end to the crisis.
While thousands of federal employees faced the grim prospect of lost paychecks, the 79-year-old President launched a “blizzard of posts” on Truth Social, showcasing a familiar playbook: posturing and provocation over problem-solving.
Key Highlights of Trump’s Approach:
- Political Attacks: Posts before 8 a.m. included praising supporters, making the false claim that Democrats want to “give your healthcare money to illegal aliens,” and vowing to permanently slash federal programs he labeled a “political scam.”
- Official Partisan Messaging: The administration mirrored his aggressive tone, using official government channels to point fingers. Federal websites carried pop-ups blaming “the Radical Left,” and White House press office auto-replies cited “staff shortages resulting from the Democrat Shutdown.”
- Deepfake and Trolling: Following a Monday meeting with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, Trump posted a doctored video. The clip mocked Schumer and featured Jeffries in a cartoon sombrero and mustache—a “disgusting video,” according to Jeffries. The White House doubled down by posting mariachi-set clips with a caption that the sombrero would get “10x bigger” daily.
- Ignoring Negotiation: The President’s schedule was empty by Thursday, and the White House offered no explanation for any behind-the-scenes work to resolve the impasse.
- Symbolic Defiance: Before the deadline, Trump posted photos from the Oval Office meeting that clearly showed bright red “Trump 2028” hats on his desk, a nod to an unconstitutional third term.
The Standoff: The core of the conflict centers on expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies. Democrats insist they will not fund the government without a provision to extend the subsidies, while Republicans demand a “clean” funding bill first.
Political Fallout: Early polls indicated that the political cost might fall mostly on the President and his party, as a Washington Post poll showed 47% blamed Trump and Republicans, compared to 30% who blamed Democrats. Despite this, the President appeared more interested in “provocation” than poll numbers. This confrontational style echoes the 2018-2019 shutdown, where Trump’s aggressive rhetoric eventually led to him shouldering the public blame.
