U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized Democrats, describing them as “crazed lunatics” who have “lost their way,” as the federal government shutdown inches toward becoming the longest in American history. Despite the escalating crisis, Trump offered no concrete plan to address the ongoing dispute over healthcare funding, a major sticking point with Democrats, who are demanding that Republicans extend government subsidies for more than 20 million Americans covered under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
The shutdown, now a month old, is nearing the 35-day record set during Trump’s first term in 2018–2019. As it drags on, hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal employees remain without pay, while active-duty military and National Guard members continue working with the promise of back pay once the impasse ends. The prolonged closure also threatens millions of Americans who depend on federal food assistance, with November benefits now at risk of disruption.
Trump squarely blamed Democrats for the standoff.
“The Republicans are voting almost unanimously to end it, and the Democrats keep voting against ending it,” he said. “You know, they’ve never had this. This has happened like 18 times before. The Democrats always voted for an extension, always saying, ‘Give us an extension, we’ll work it out.’”
Democrats have tied their cooperation to an agreement on maintaining Obamacare subsidies, warning that without federal support, health insurance premiums could double for millions of citizens. Trump, however, continued to denounce the policy.
“It’s bad health care at far too high a price,” he said. “We should fix that. Fix it. And we can fix it with the Democrats. All they have to do is let the country open and we’ll fix it.”
Trump reiterated that he has long sought to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, a promise that remained unfulfilled during his presidency.
“We almost did it. We were one vote short,” he recalled, referring to the failed 2017 Senate effort to repeal parts of Obamacare.
In contrast to his previous term, when he often hosted bipartisan meetings at the White House to negotiate an end to shutdowns, Trump signaled a tougher stance this time.
“I’m not going to do it by being extorted by the Democrats who have lost their way,” he said. “There’s something wrong with these people.”
The former president expressed confidence that Democrats would ultimately yield.
“And if they don’t vote, that’s their problem,” he said, adding that Republicans should consider using the “nuclear option” to end the Senate filibuster.
“The Republicans have to get tougher. If we end the filibuster, we can do exactly what we want,” he said. “We’re not going to lose power.”
Trump made the comments during a wide-ranging interview with 60 Minutes, his first in five years, where he also discussed China, Venezuela, tariffs, and U.S. immigration policy. The appearance comes after he settled a lawsuit against CBS parent company Paramount over a contentious 2024 interview with then–Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The settlement did not include an apology.
As the shutdown stretches on with no compromise in sight, both sides appear entrenched, leaving millions of Americans caught in the middle of a bitter political standoff.
