The Trumpiest Of All Shutdowns

This Washington impasse is like no other. And the map for ending it must be charted through Trump’s head.

- Joshua Green

As the record-long government shutdown barrels into its second month, you may have noticed that this stalemate differs from previous ones. Not only is it dragging on longer and causing more economic damage, it’s also resisting the usual forces of resolution. Past shutdowns feel almost quaint by comparison.

There have been 10 since 1980, and two already during Donald Trump’s brief presidency. By now, a familiar process has arisen through which these deadlocks resolve themselves: the combination of cable news clocks, tales of hardship, besieged lawmakers, and worsening poll numbers ratchets up pressure until one side or the other capitulates. That was the case with last year’s Democrat-led shutdown, meant to force progress on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, and also with the Republican one in 2013 that sought to block the Affordable Care Act.

It’s not the case this time, at least not yet. From the beginning, the Trump-led shutdown over a border wall has been different. It effectively kicked off on live television when Trump staged a showdown with incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and was then gulled into taking responsibility for what was about to happen. “I will be the one to shut it down,” Trump boasted to a grinning Schumer. “I’m not going to blame you for it.”