Once Donald Trump was elected, it was only a matter of time before the phrase "economic hellscape" made its first straight news appearance. It took two years, but yep: he managed it.
The country would face an economic hellscape if the government shutdown lasts "months or even years," as the president has suggested it might, experts tell NBC News.
That is the extremely freaking dire assessment from economic experts watching this tantrum play out, and it's difficult to see how it would be anything else. 800,000 federal workers cannot go without pay for months; there are not many people in all of America who could go without pay for months. TSA agents and other workers will be obligated to quit in droves. Delayed federal services, from Department of Agriculture loans to Housing and Urban Development payments, will cause cascade effects through the wider economy.
And when Americans don't get their tax refunds?
Or when SNAP benefits, aka food stamps, run out in late February, jeopardizing 40 million people?
And as emergency disaster relief money becomes unavailable—not because Congress will not approve the money, but because the agencies that manage those funds are shuttered and there's no way for disaster victims to get that assistance?
Or federal court proceedings nationwide ground to a halt?
As the number of Americans swells into the tens of millions, then the multiple tens of millions, and the stock markets go a-sideways as consumer spending tanks (and no public offerings until this is over, captains of industry: companies can't get SEC clearance), things begin to get hellscapey mighty quick. It turns out you can't just shut down a tremendous chunk of the American economy without consequences. It also may at any point turn into a more vivid and attention-grabbing national emergency if just one bug slips into the nation's food supply due to a cancelled Food and Drug Administration inspection.
You don't need to buy a mail order steak for Donald Trump to give you food poisoning. It turns out his administration will be handing those bugs out for free.
The more-than-decent chance that Trump's insisted-upon government shutdown turns into a real economic crisis is likely why Senate Majority Leader and successful Terrapin-American Mitch McConnell is missing in action on this one. He's insisted that Senate Democrats negotiate with Trump, but has stated he won't be bringing up any vote to end the shutdown without Trump's buy-in. That position will likely become untenable, quickly, to others in his party.
There's no "both sides" on this one. Donald Trump was ready to sign legislation keeping the government open with no new border spending; at the 11th hour he balked, instead demanding a multibillion-dollar ransom and vowing to hold the federal government hostage until he gets it. He took full responsibility at the time, no matter how much he waffles now.
House and Senate Republicans could easily band with Democrats to override a promised veto and re-open the government anytime they wanted to. If they're sticking with Trump's tantrum, that's on them.