In the budget showdown with Republicans, Democrats had two urgent tasks.
The first—and most critical—was to rebuild credibility with their own base after their disastrous cave in March. In over 20 years of covering Democratic politics, I’ve rarely seen such raw fury at party leaders. It mirrored the resentment that fueled the tea party’s purge of establishment Republicans in the late 2000s.
And it isn’t just vibes. “Democrats now express more disapproval of their party’s congressional leadership than at any time in several decades,” reported the Pew Research Center. Decades. Just 21% of Americans view Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer favorably—including only 35% of Democrats. That trust deficit demanded a response.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, shown in 2023.
The second task was to reassert the Democratic Party as the one actually fighting for people’s everyday needs—especially on cost of living and health care. On that front, Democratic discipline has been flawless. Calm, steady, grounded in core values—they’ve refused to even entertain Republican demands that would make health care more expensive. That quiet strength has Republicans tied in knots.
As I’ve noted, Republicans could end the shutdown anytime they wanted. All they’d have to do is eliminate the filibuster. They haven’t—likely because they know they’d pay a political price for raising health care costs on millions.
Now, Senate Republicans are floating possible concessions to lure Democrats back to the table. Democrats, content to wait them out, are finally doing what their voters have begged for years: to stand for something, and stay standing.
That simple act—refusing to cave—has already started to rebuild trust. In the latest YouGov/Economist poll, 58% of Democrats approved of their party’s handling of the shutdown, while only 18% disapproved. That’s real progress. Republicans, by contrast, remain unified in support of their side (73% approve, 12% disapprove), but they aren’t the ones facing a credibility crisis among their base.
And Democrats’ steadfast opposition appears to be landing with the broader public. In the same poll, 41% percent blame the shutdown on President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, with another 23% blaming both sides equally. That means two-thirds of Americans hold Trump and the GOP responsible. Just 30% blame Democrats alone.
With next year’s midterms looming, that’s a dangerous place for Republicans to be.
To borrow Trump’s own words: The GOP doesn’t have the cards.
