US government shutdown nearing record for longest in history as Trump delays food benefits to millions – US politics live | US federal government shutdown 2025
US government shutdown approaches record for longest shutdown in history as Trump delays food aid to millions
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.
Republicans, the US president Donald TrumpLawmakers are “desperate” to end the government shutdown, which is in its 33rd day, as they struggle to find common ground on previously bipartisan issues such as food aid and health care.
The latest shutdown, which began in December 2018 and was sparked by disagreements over money needed to finance the wall on the US-Mexico border, lasted 35 days; this was the longest period in American history.
Republicans have just 53 seats in the Senate, meaning they need at least seven Democrats or independents to reopen the federal government. But in repeated votes since federal agencies closed Oct. 1, only three Democrats have been willing to support the funding bill.
Trump continues to maintain a tight grip on the shutdown, which has seen Democrats and Republicans remain stuck on passing a spending plan to reopen federal agencies. He is resisting political and even federal court pressure to ease the burden on vulnerable Americans while protesting that he has no power to end the stalemate.
“I mean, Republicans are voting almost unanimously to end the agreement, and Democrats continue to vote against ending the agreement,” Trump said in an interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday. “You know, they’ve never had this happen. This has happened 18 times before. Democrats always voted for the extension and were saying, ‘Give us an extension, we’ll handle it.'”
Two federal court judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration must use $5 billion in emergency funds to continue paying food aid Snap benefits to as many as 42 million low-income Americans. Payments were halted on Saturday due to the shutdown, putting millions of people at risk of starvation.
As my colleague Ed Pilkington reported in this story, despite two court rulings, it remains unclear when or whether the administration will restart payments. Trump said he was waiting for clarification from federal judges on where the money should come from.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest happenings in Washington.
important events
Donald Trump said he felt sorry for the British royal family after King Charles stripped his brother Andrew of his princely title amid ongoing disputes over Andrew’s links to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening, Trump was asked about King Charles’ decision to deprive his brother of his nobility and the title of prince.
“It’s a terrible thing that happened to the (Royal) family,” the US president said. “This is a tragic situation. It’s terrible. I feel sorry for my family.”
Andrew was accused by Virginia Giuffre of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager and claimed she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with the royal family. Andrew vehemently denied the allegations.
Pressure is mounting on Andrew to testify before a powerful US congressional committee. Members of the House Oversight Committee called for the former prince to reveal what he knew about Epstein’s actions.
US Energy Secretary says Trump’s planned weapons tests will not include ‘nuclear explosions’
US Secretary of Energy, Chris WrightHe said the weapons tests Donald Trump ordered last week would not include nuclear explosions.
Wright told Fox News yesterday: “I think the tests we’re talking about right now are systems tests. These are not nuclear explosions. We call these non-critical explosions.”
“So you test all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they maintain the proper geometry and prepare for the nuclear explosion,” Wright added.
Wright, whose agency is responsible for the tests, said the planned tests “will cover all other parts of a nuclear weapon to ensure they provide the proper geometry and prepare for the nuclear explosion.”
The confusion over Trump’s intentions began minutes before he was due to hold a critical meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. Trump took to the Truth Social platform and claimed that the United States was preparing to lift its decades-old ban. testing the country’s nuclear weapons.
His comments sparked fears that the United States could be preparing to restart full-scale nuclear explosions for the first time since the early 1990s.
As we noted in the opening brief, two federal judges ruled that the government cannot suspend food assistance used by nearly 42 million low-income Americans during the shutdown.
Here’s more on the story, courtesy of my colleague Lauren Gambino:
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said there are not enough funds to pay the full benefits, as food stamp issuance costs the public purse between $8.5 and $9 billion each month.
The Trump administration argues that the agency does not have the authority to pay them until Congress passes a spending bill that would end the government shutdown that began Oct. 1.
Trump criticized the decisions on Friday don’t write “Radical Democrats do NOT want Americans to starve because they refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT” on Truth Social.
“I have instructed our attorneys to ask the Court to explain as soon as possible how we can legally fund SNAP. This is already delayed enough with Democrats keeping the Government shut down until the monthly payment deadline, and even if we receive immediate guidance, unfortunately States will be delayed in withdrawing the money,” he wrote.
“If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will be MY HONOR to provide the funding, just as I did with the Military and Law Enforcement Pension.”
US government shutdown approaches record for longest shutdown in history as Trump delays food aid to millions
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.
Republicans, the US president Donald TrumpLawmakers are “desperate” to end the government shutdown, which is in its 33rd day, as they struggle to find common ground on previously bipartisan issues such as food aid and health care.
The latest shutdown, which began in December 2018 and was sparked by disagreements over money needed to finance the wall on the US-Mexico border, lasted 35 days; this was the longest period in American history.
Republicans have just 53 seats in the Senate, meaning they need at least seven Democrats or independents to reopen the federal government. But in repeated votes since federal agencies closed Oct. 1, only three Democrats have been willing to support the funding bill.
Trump continues to maintain a tight grip on the shutdown, which has seen Democrats and Republicans remain stuck on passing a spending plan to reopen federal agencies. He is resisting political and even federal court pressure to ease the burden on vulnerable Americans while protesting that he has no power to end the stalemate.
“I mean, Republicans are voting almost unanimously to end the agreement, and Democrats continue to vote against ending the agreement,” Trump said in an interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday. “You know, they’ve never had this happen. This has happened 18 times before. Democrats always voted for the extension and were saying, ‘Give us an extension, we’ll handle it.'”
Two federal court judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration must use $5 billion in emergency funds to continue paying food aid Snap benefits to as many as 42 million low-income Americans. Payments were halted on Saturday due to the shutdown, putting millions of people at risk of starvation.
As my colleague Ed Pilkington reported in this story, despite two court rulings, it remains unclear when or whether the administration will restart payments. Trump said he was waiting for clarification from federal judges on where the money should come from.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest happenings in Washington.
