The Senate Democrats who broke ranks in March to prevent a government shutdown are now watching their controversial decision bear fruit, as President Trump’s sweeping tariffs trigger economic turbulence that has shifted the political narrative decisively in their favor.
The group of ten Democrats who voted with Republicans to pass a six-month funding bill faced intense criticism from progressive activists at the time, with many in the party base demanding an all-out resistance to Trump’s agenda. But their gamble to keep the government open has allowed Democrats to maintain focus on Trump’s economic policies rather than being bogged down in a shutdown blame game.
“I knew this was the right move,” Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) told reporters. “Now when Americans see their 401(k)s taking a hit and grocery prices climbing, they’re looking at the White House – not at us.”
The strategic calculus appears prescient as Trump’s aggressive trade measures have sparked the worst market volatility since 2020, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average swinging by nearly 1,000 points in a single session last week. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s controversial efficiency reforms at federal agencies have drawn bipartisan criticism, further isolating the administration.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who quietly supported the compromise funding measure despite public neutrality, has since ramped up attacks on what he calls Trump’s “reckless economic experimentation.”
The Democrats’ decision has also neutralized what could have been a damaging internal party fight. Had they forced a shutdown, progressives would have demanded an uncompromising stance while moderates feared voter backlash a repeat of the 2018-2019 shutdown dynamics that hurt Democrats politically.
Instead, the party appears increasingly unified as Trump’s policies dominate the news cycle. Recent polling shows 58% of Americans now disapprove of the president’s handling of the economy, up 12 points since March.
As Congress prepares for another funding battle this summer, Democratic leaders say they’ll continue this strategy of avoiding self-inflicted crises while keeping the spotlight firmly on the administration’s policies.
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