Trump's smug photos inside Oval Office as government shuts down - including sinister prop on desk
A behind-the-scenes photo has emerged showing President Donald Trump pointing and laughing at Democratic leaders during the failed negotiations to avoid a government shutdown
A snapshot of Trump's unsuccessful negotiations with the Democrats has surfaced amidst the official shutdown of the federal government and shows a troublesome prop on his desk.
The candid photo captures President Trump gesturing towards Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House counterpart Hakeem Jeffries during the discussions, alongside Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Trump shared the image on his social media platform, Truth Social, late Tuesday, just before the clock struck midnight on Wednesday, signaling the first federal government shutdown since December 2018.
The last shutdown happened when the government and the Democrats couldn't agree on funding for the border wall during Trump's initial term. It comes after a lip reader revealed Trump's furious 3-word question to his wife, Melania, as he went into a meltdown.
The picture from the Oval Office meeting shows the president placing 'Trump 2028' hats on the Resolute Desk right in front of the Democratic leaders, reports the Express US.
"He did not try to hand us the Trump 2028 hat. They just randomly appeared in the middle of the meeting on the desk. It was the strangest thing ever," Hakeem Jeffries told CNN on Tuesday night. The president has said several times that he would consider running for a third term, which goes against the US Constitution.
While the Senate is set to vote on this funding bill again on Wednesday morning, most House Republicans are currently not in Washington, which could pose a problem.
One significant sticking point is that the Democratic Party is insisting that Republicans agree to reinstate funding to healthcare that was slashed earlier this summer. The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will strip about 10 million Americans of healthcare by 2034.
Additionally, other residents will see outrageous increases in their premiums thanks to the funding cuts. Congressional Democrats demand more than $1 trillion in funding be added to the Affordable Care Act to offset the steep cuts.
Republicans have refused to make any concessions, as top administration officials like Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson urge their political counterparts to do the "right thing." Additionally, Trump claimed his rivals demand illegal immigrants are granted healthcare, despite the fact that Obamacare is strictly for American citizens only.
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Analysts believe the shutdown could go on for awhile given the intense political landscape and the ardent Democrats who have everything to gain by fighting for healthcare.
President Trump on Tuesday threatened dissenting Democrats with mass layoffs if a shutdown were to happen. It's unclear exactly which federal agencies the White House plans to purge amid the shutdown. The incumbent is also poised to use the situation for political gain, once again painting the left as the "radical" party responsible for shutting down the US government.
It's not just Trump under the microscope, as son Barron's weird 'golden spoon' story at a private dinner party has caused concern.