Americans Pay While Politicians Play

Every day the government shuts down, Americans suffer. Families lose paychecks, veterans go unpaid, health care stalls, and the powerful watch unscathed.

Guest article by Michael Cohen. Follow him on Substack for more by clicking here.

Let’s stop pretending: every American is about to get screwed. When the government shuts down, the ultimate losers aren’t Trump, Schumer, or the members of Congress who grandstand on cable news. The losers are you, me, and every single American—Republican, Democrat, or Independent. That’s the dirty little secret. And it’s why this entire circus is so infuriating. Because while the politicians play chicken, millions of lives get thrown into chaos.

Trump, of course, doesn’t care. He told POLITICO in a phone call Monday night: “I don’t worry about that, because people that are smart see what’s happening. The Democrats are deranged.” Translation: if the government shuts down, it’s not his problem. He thinks it’s good politics. And to make sure the headlines stayed ugly, he posted a vulgar, AI-generated deepfake video mocking Democratic leaders, complete with Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero. This is the level of seriousness this administration brings to the table—a cartoon sideshow while the lights in Washington flicker off.

But here’s the thing: yes, the Republicans are to blame. They control government. Everyone knows it. They own this mess. But Democrats, once again, are at risk of losing the messaging war. Trump and the GOP are branding this the “Schumer shutdown.” And unless Democrats push back harder, that lie is going to stick.

So let’s talk about who actually gets hurt, because the pain is very real. Federal workers will be furloughed without pay. TSA agents, air traffic controllers, and border patrol officers—the very people Republicans claim to “back the blue” for—will be forced to either work for free or stay home. Imagine telling your family that your paycheck won’t be coming this month because politicians want to score talking points on Fox News. Military families will be crushed too. Active-duty service members will keep reporting for duty, but their paychecks will stop. Let that sink in. The same Republicans who wrap themselves in the flag are perfectly fine stiffing soldiers on rent, groceries, and child care.

The damage doesn’t stop there. Millions of Americans who rely on health care and subsidies under the Affordable Care Act will face higher premiums or lose coverage altogether. Seniors on Medicare will see delays, and children relying on CHIP programs could lose access. Trump’s spin is that Democrats want to fund health care for “millions and millions of illegal aliens.” That’s a lie. Undocumented immigrants aren’t even eligible for ACA coverage. But lies play better than facts in Trump’s America.

Then there are the small businesses. Shutdowns grind federal loan approvals to a halt, contractors get stiffed, and tourism collapses in national parks and federally run museums. Billions of dollars vanish from the economy—not from some abstract “budget,” but from the wallets of everyday people. And even if you’re not a federal employee, soldier, or subsidy recipient, you’ll feel the ripple effects. Try flying when the TSA is understaffed. Try visiting a national park when it’s padlocked. Try securing a small-business loan when the SBA is shuttered. The economy slows, markets rattle, and our global allies watch the United States willingly kneecap itself.

And yet, here’s Trump’s calculus: Americans will get angry, but he’s banking on anger directed at Democrats. Republicans know Schumer is terrible at drawing clean battle lines. They’ll keep voting on their so-called “clean” stopgap bill, branding it as “common sense,” while Democrats hold out for health care subsidies. By the end of the week, every chyron on every network will scream: Who’s to Blame for the Shutdown? That’s the GOP’s whole strategy: shift the narrative and wait for Democrats to cave.

And sadly, history says they might. Democrats too often fight like they’re at a debate club. Republicans fight like they’re in a street brawl. Trump, Thune, and Johnson know exactly what they’re doing: manufacture chaos, offload blame, and watch Democrats collapse under the pressure.

But the bigger point—the one Democrats should be screaming from the rooftops—is this: a shutdown doesn’t punish politicians. It punishes Americans. It punishes the veteran waiting on a disability check. The single mom whose childcare subsidy dries up. The family who relies on SNAP to have food on the table. The border patrol agent forced to work for free. The military spouse wondering how to buy groceries.

And that’s why this whole charade is unforgivable. Because the people who suffer aren’t in Washington. They’re in every state, every town, every neighborhood. Republicans own this because they control the levers of government. Trump owns this because he’s made cruelty and chaos his governing philosophy. But Democrats own their silence. Their inability to tell this story—to make the pain visceral and undeniable—is what allows Republicans to skate.

The truth is, a shutdown doesn’t just flick off the lights in Washington; it shuts off the lights in kitchens, classrooms, and hospitals across America. It tells our soldiers their sacrifice is negotiable, our children their health is conditional, and our democracy that dysfunction is the new normal. That’s not governing; that’s slow-motion sabotage. And if we accept it as business as usual, then the damage isn’t temporary; it’s permanent.

Because when the government shuts down, it’s not just offices and agencies that go dark; it’s faith. Faith that our leaders give a damn. Faith that America is still capable of solving problems without burning the country down in the process. Lose that faith, and you don’t just have a shutdown. You have the slow collapse of the very idea of America.

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