WASHINGTON, D.C. Oct 21, 2025 – In a pointed rebuke to Democratic leaders amid the ongoing government shutdown, President Donald Trump stated Tuesday that he would only agree to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries if they first commit to reopening the federal government. The remark, captured in a White House video clip shared by the administration’s rapid response team, underscores the deepening partisan divide as the shutdown stretches into its fourth week, furloughing thousands of federal workers and disrupting services nationwide.
“I would like to meet with both of them, but I set one little caveat: I will only [meet] if they let the country open,” Trump said in the footage, recorded during a recent White House briefing. “They have to let the country open. The people want to go back to work. They want to be served. They need the services of some people, and a lot of people need money.” The 39-second clip, posted on X by @RapidResponse47, quickly garnered over 2,700 likes and 220,000 views, amplifying Trump’s message to his base.
The shutdown, which began on September 29 after Congress failed to pass a funding bill, has been marked by escalating rhetoric on both sides. Democrats have branded it the “Trump shutdown,” accusing the president of disengagement and prioritizing political theater over governance. Schumer and Jeffries sent a letter to Trump earlier Tuesday requesting an urgent sit-down “any time, any place” to negotiate an end to the impasse, emphasizing the mounting economic toll on American families.
“We are ready to sit down and negotiate with [Trump] to end this shutdown,” Schumer said during a press conference, highlighting rising health insurance premiums and delayed federal payments as key concerns.
Trump, however, framed the Democrats’ tactics as driven by “Trump derangement syndrome,” a phrase he used in the video to dismiss their opposition. He noted that Democrats have blocked Republican efforts to pass short-term funding resolutions multiple times, including 11 attempts in the Senate alone. The president’s stance aligns with his administration’s broader narrative that the shutdown is a Democratic ploy to extract concessions on issues like immigration and spending priorities.
Earlier in the day, Trump hosted a lunch with Senate Republicans at the newly renovated White House, where discussions reportedly focused on strategies to pressure Democrats into yielding. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett expressed optimism on CNBC, predicting the “Schumer shutdown” could conclude by the end of the week as political leverage shifts. “I think [Democrats] will agree to end it sometime this week,” Hassett said, citing internal polling showing public frustration mounting against prolonged gridlock.
The shutdown’s impacts continue to ripple through the economy. Over 800,000 federal employees remain furloughed or working without pay, national parks are operating on skeleton crews, and Affordable Care Act subsidies are at risk of expiring, potentially increasing premiums by hundreds of dollars for millions of Americans. Small businesses reliant on federal contracts are also reporting cash flow strains, with some warning of layoffs if the impasse persists.
Reactions on social media were swift and polarized. Supporters praised Trump’s firmness as a stand for fiscal responsibility, with one X user declaring, “Absolutely! The people are ready to work.” Critics, however, accused the president of gamesmanship, with another commenter lamenting, “Trump isn’t a conservative. He’s a snake oil salesman that deceived everyone that wanted to put America First.”
As the deadline for a resolution looms without a clear path forward, Capitol Hill remains a scene of stalled negotiations. With midterm elections approaching, both parties face mounting pressure to avert a deeper crisis. Whether Trump’s caveat forces Democratic concessions or prolongs the stalemate remains to be seen, but the president’s message is unequivocal: No deal without reopening America.
