By Ben Meiselas
Donald Trump finally poked his head out of hiding today, but not for the public, not for a press conference, not to address the American people, and not to take responsibility for the chaos he caused. Instead, the White House released what I can only describe as a “proof of life” video of Trump presiding over the swearing-in of the new ambassador to Sweden. That’s it. A staged clip of him mumbling through the oath. Apparently, this is supposed to reassure the country.
But Americans aren’t buying it. They know exactly who’s responsible for the Trump shutdown. And the polling data makes it crystal clear. By wide margins, the public blames Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans for this crisis. CNN’s Harry Enten broke it down using data from the New York Times, Marist, and the Washington Post, and across the board, the GOP is losing this battle of public opinion. Seven points here, twelve points there, seventeen points in the Post. No matter how you slice it, the American people are holding Trump and his party accountable.
And they’re right to. This whole mess boils down to one simple issue. MAGA Republicans refuse to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, threatening to strip health care from tens of millions of Americans. That’s it. That’s the hill they’re shutting down the government over. Something as basic and humane as keeping people insured, keeping premiums from skyrocketing, and preventing families from being thrown into medical bankruptcy.
While Trump hides in the shadows, his lackey MAGA Mike Johnson parades in front of cameras trying to spin this disaster as some kind of comedy routine. At one presser, Johnson was confronted, by a Fox News reporter no less, who asked how Republicans could claim not to be “taking joy” in the shutdown while simultaneously bragging about trolling Democrats and “having fun.” They treat governance like a meme war while federal workers go without pay, veterans lose services, and families face rising health costs.
When pressed on the substance, like if Republicans would commit to preserving the ACA subsidies, Johnson’s answer was a long-winded dodge. Translation: absolutely not. He’d rather blather about “reforms” that don’t exist, citing fake savings, and railing against so-called “illegal aliens” receiving benefits. Another lie, another scapegoat. It’s all noise designed to distract from the simple truth: they want to rip health care away from you because Donald Trump told them to.
The problem for Trump and MAGA Mike is that the American people aren’t distracted. Poll after poll shows overwhelming support for keeping these subsidies, including among Republican voters. A staggering 71% of Americans back them. That means even many Fox News viewers, even many rank-and-file GOP voters, know how vital this support is to their families. The 29% who oppose it? They’ll figure it out when their premiums explode.
Meanwhile, Trump is out here pretending to be some global dealmaker. He’s threatening “all hell” if Hamas doesn’t reach a peace agreement by Sunday at 6 p.m.—the same empty deadline he’s issued multiple times before. He claims he’ll end wars in 24 hours, but can’t even keep the government’s lights on. He brags about restoring counterterrorism funding to New York when, in reality, a federal judge blocked his own cuts and forced the money through. He posts and deletes ISIS-style death videos of boats being blown up off Venezuela. This is not leadership. This is a dangerous, delusional regime flailing as the country suffers.
And while Trump hides, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is calling his bluff. Jeffries, on the MeidasTouch Podcast, challenged Trump and his MAGA lackeys to meet Democrats in public, in front of the cameras, and negotiate in good faith. Trump won’t show up, because he knows what we all know. This crisis is on him. He caused it, and he has no solutions. And if the public is able to see their meeting, they’d quickly see that Trump is lying about everything.
Tens of millions of Americans’ health care is at stake. Federal employees are being punished. Veterans and seniors are being used as political pawns. And the so-called president of the United States is hiding behind a two-minute “proof of life” video while he and his party laughs, trolls, and memes their way through a national emergency.
We’re going to keep bringing you all the updates without any of the “both-sides” B.S. Because there aren’t two sides to this story, and the American people deserve to know the truth. We need your help in getting these messages out now more than ever. And consider joining now as a paid subscriber to this Substack to support our reporting.
