Today in one sentence: Trump called the shutdown an “unprecedented opportunity” to slash “Democrat agencies,” bragging that “I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this”; the Trump administration is planning to send billions in bailout payments to U.S. farmers; JD Vance dismissed a racist AI-generated video that Trump posted showing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero and mustache with mariachi music, saying "I think it’s funny"; Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski said ICE will deploy officers to the 2026 Super Bowl after the NFL named Bad Bunny as the halftime headliner; FBI Director Kash Patel said he ended the bureau’s partnership with the Anti-Defamation League; Trump unilaterally “determined” that the U.S. is in a “noninternational armed conflict” with “terrorist” drug cartels; the Pentagon plans to force thousands of personnel to sign nondisclosure agreements and submit to random polygraph tests; the Trump administration told nine universities they could gain a funding advantage if they signed a 10-point compact restricting admissions, hiring, tuition, speech, and foreign enrollment; experts rated U.S. democracy at 54 out of 100, placing it closer to “mixed” or “illiberal” democracies like Mexico (60) and Israel (49) than to Canada (88) or Britain (83); 47% of Americans said groceries are harder to afford than a year ago; 30% of Americans say political violence may be necessary to fix the country; and 28% of Americans say they trust newspapers, television, and radio “to report the news fully, accurately and fairly" – the lowest level ever recorded.

1/ Trump called the shutdown an “unprecedented opportunity” to slash “Democrat agencies,” bragging that “I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this.” He said budget director Russell Vought would decide if the cuts are “temporary or permanent,” and warned “There could be firings and that’s their fault,” adding Democrats’ “favorite projects” might be “permanently cut.” Unlike past shutdowns, which relied on furloughs with back pay, the White House is preparing mass layoffs: Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said job losses were “likely going to be in the thousands,” and Vought told Republicans they could begin “in a day or two.” The administration has already frozen $18 billion for New York projects tied to Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries, and canceled $8 billion for climate programs in Democratic-led states. Unions, meanwhile, sued to block the layoffs, arguing that mass firings during a shutdown are illegal. Some Republicans have warned that the White House could squander political “moral high ground” by going too far. (New York Times / Bloomberg / CNBC / Associated Press / New York Times / Politico / Axios / CNN / The Hill / Semafor / The Guardian)

  • 💡 What’s at stake? Letting the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits expire at year’s end would double average premiums for people who buy coverage on the exchanges. More than 20 million people would face average hikes of 114% (about $1,016 more in 2026), and the Congressional Budget Office estimated 4 million would lose coverage. Extending the credits would cost about $350 billion over 10 years. (Washington Post / Associated Press / New York Times / NPR)

  • 47% of Americans said Trump and Republicans in Congress are mainly responsible for the government shutdown, compared with 30% who blamed Democrats and 23% who were unsure. Two-thirds said they were concerned about the shutdown, though most described themselves as only “somewhat concerned.” 71% said federal health insurance subsidies should be extended, but nearly half also said Democrats should demand that extension “even if it continues a government shutdown.” Among Republicans, 62% said subsidies should end, with nearly half wanting their party to stick to that demand even if it prolongs the shutdown. (The Hill / Washington Post / NBC News)

2/ The Trump administration is planning to send billions in bailout payments to U.S. farmers, starting with $4 billion left in a USDA account. American farmers lost their main export market after China stopped buying U.S. soybeans in retaliation for Trump’s tariffs. Treasury officials are reportedly reviewing ways to use tariff revenue to supplement the aid, though that would require congressional approval, where Democrats and Republicans are already locked in a spending fight. Republicans privately estimate they may need up to $50 billion in aid. (Politico / Axios / Politico)

3/ JD Vance dismissed a racist AI-generated video that Trump posted showing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero and mustache with mariachi music, saying “I think it’s funny.” Jeffries called it “racist and fake” and challenged Trump to “say it to my face.” When asked about Jeffries remark, Vance replied: “I honestly don’t even know what that means. Like, is he a Mexican American that is offended by having a sombrero meme?” Meanwhile at the White House, staff played the video on loop, with spokeswoman Abigail Jackson saying, “The sombreros will continue until the Democrats reopen the government.” (Washington Post / New York Times / The Hill)

4/ Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski said ICE will deploy officers to the 2026 Super Bowl after the NFL named Bad Bunny as the halftime headliner. “There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else,” Lewandowski said. He called the choice of Bad Bunny, a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico, “so shameful” and claimed the artist “seems to hate America.” Bad Bunny previously said he avoided U.S. tour dates because “fucking ICE could be outside [my concerts].” (Hollywood Reporter / Axios / HuffPost / The Hill / Mediaite)

5/ FBI Director Kash Patel said he ended the bureau’s partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, which had long trained law enforcement on hate crimes and extremism. Patel accused the ADL of being a “political front” that “spied on Americans,” saying “James Comey wrote ‘love letters’ to the ADL and embedded FBI agents with them — a group that ran disgraceful ops spying on Americans. That era is OVER.” Patel announced the move after conservative criticism of the ADL’s “Glossary of Extremism,” which listed Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA. The ADL later removed the glossary, calling entries “outdated,” and that it had “deep respect” for the FBI and law enforcement. (Politico / Washington Post / Reuters / Axios)

6/ Trump unilaterally “determined” that the U.S. is in a “noninternational armed conflict” with “terrorist” drug cartels. A White House memo justified three U.S. military strikes on Caribbean boats that killed 17 people, claiming drug smuggling and the resulting overdose deaths “constitute an armed attack against the United States” and the dead were therefore “unlawful combatants.” Pentagon lawyer Earl Matthews told senators the terrorist designation gave authority to use force, but refused to provide a written basis. Lawmakers in both parties questioned the rationale, saying there was bipartisan “confusion and concern,” because Trump gave “no credible legal justification, evidence or intelligence.” (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / CNN / The Hill / Associated Press / ABC News)

7/ The Pentagon plans to force thousands of personnel to sign nondisclosure agreements and submit to random polygraph tests. The policy, driven by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, would apply to more than 5,000 officials, from top generals to junior staff, despite existing laws already punishing unauthorized disclosures. (Washington Post)

8/ The Trump administration told nine universities they could gain a funding advantage if they signed a 10-point compact restricting admissions, hiring, tuition, speech, and foreign enrollment. The plan requires schools to ban race and sex as factors in admissions, freeze tuition for five years, cap international students at 15%, and abolish departments accused of punishing conservative ideas. In return, the White House promised “substantial and meaningful federal grants” and other benefits, with Justice Department oversight and penalties for violations. (Wall Street Journal / CNN / Bloomberg / The Guardian / The Hill)

9/ Experts rated U.S. democracy at 54 out of 100, placing it closer to “mixed” or “illiberal” democracies like Mexico (60) and Israel (49) than to Canada (88) or Britain (83). Bright Line Watch said the U.S. is weakening across core principles, with ratings for tolerance of peaceful protest dropping from 49% in April to 38% in September, use of agencies against political opponents from 15% to 7%, and fair districting from 8% to 3%. The report cited Trump’s attacks on the press, partisan gerrymandering, and politicized prosecutions as major threats. It warned the U.S. score could fall to 47 by 2027. (Strength In Numbers)

poll/ 47% of Americans said groceries are harder to afford than a year ago, while 34% said costs are about the same and 19% said groceries are easier to afford. 47% said Trump’s administration had a positive impact on the economy, and 63% said they feared shortages of key goods because of tariffs. (Axios)

poll/ 30% of Americans say political violence may be necessary to fix the country – up 11 points since April 2024. Support rose most among Democrats, from 12% to 28%, while 31% of Republicans and 25% of independents agreed. Still, 70% said violence isn’t necessary, and 77% called political violence a major concern. (NPR)

poll/ 28% of Americans say they trust newspapers, television, and radio “to report the news fully, accurately and fairly” – the lowest level ever recorded by Gallup. 70% say they have “not very much” or “no trust at all.” Trust has fallen across all groups: 51% of Democrats express confidence, 27% of independents do, and only 8% of Republicans. 43% of those 65 and older report higher confidence than younger groups, where no more than 28% express trust. (Gallup)

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⏭️ Notably Next: The government has been shut down for 2 day; the 2026 midterms are in 397 days.

Five years ago today: Day 1352: "Give me a fucking break."
Six years ago today: Day 986: "BULLSHIT."
Seven years ago today: Day 621: Tired of winning.
Eight years ago today: Day 256: An act of pure evil.