Partisanship Without Principle
We’re a week away from the fourth Trump shutdown where our military troops won’t get their paycheck.
It’s been two weeks since the murder of Charlie Kirk, and I’ve been thinking about our search for unity after tragedy, especially in a country as divided as ours. I keep coming back to the contrast. Erika Kirk showed extraordinary grace at the memorial service, forgiving the man who killed her husband, saying, “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
It’s a message that we could all take to heart.
Meanwhile, at the same memorial, President Trump, ever a class act, said, “I hate my opponents and I don’t want the best for them.” He’s talking about his fellow Americans he’s supposed to lead.
That’s the divide we live in—somewhere between forgiveness and fury. It’s a divide so deep that Jimmy Kimmel’s show was canceled and then uncanceled in the span of a news cycle over comments he made about Kirk’s alleged shooter (not even about Kirk himself).
It would be nice to pivot toward hope.
It’s Rosh Hashanah— the Jewish New Year. Shana tova to all my Jewish readers. How fitting that a holiday devoted to renewal and reflection coincides with the start of fall. It’s a reminder that we each can turn a new leaf.
But Washington hasn’t gotten the memo.
Another Trump Shutdown Looms
If Congress doesn’t pass a funding bill by September 30—the end of the fiscal year—the government shuts down. That means 1.3 million active-duty service members won’t get paid (not including the Reserve or National Guard), along with 2 million federal workers.
The Senate needs 60 votes to pass even a short-term funding bill, which means compromise is the only way forward. But instead of pushing for it, Trump told Republicans not to deal with Democrats. On Tuesday, Trump posted to Truth Social, announcing that he had cancelled a planned meeting with Democratic leaders Sen. Schumer and Rep. Jeffries to discuss the bill, calling their demands unrealistic and accusing them of trying to tie government funding to “radical left” policies.
This is what partisanship without principle looks like.
When leaders refuse to even sit in a room together, ordinary Americans pay the price. Soldiers overseas, families living paycheck to paycheck, federal workers keeping the trains running—none of them should be used as bargaining chips.
House Republicans passed what they call a “clean” continuing resolution (CR). It’s a stopgap bill to keep the government open through November 20. It includes a few add-ons for government security and a fix for D.C.’s budget. Think of it like paying the minimum on your credit card bill: it keeps the lights on, but it doesn’t solve the underlying problem.
Democrats want to use this moment to extend health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of 2025.
Republicans argue that health care is too big to tack on to a stopgap bill and should be handled later. Democrats say later is too late.
Trump, for his part, told reporters the obvious: a shutdown may be coming.
And so here we are.
If a shutdown happens, this would be the FOURTH under Trump’s watch in less than five years as President. The first three led to a record of $7.8 trillion to our national debt under President Trump’s first administration (an immoral record).
January 20–22, 2018 (3 days)
Triggered by disagreements over immigration (DACA protections).
Funding returned after bipartisan agreement, with further immigration debate pledged.
February 9, 2018 (9 hours, overnight)
A very short lapse caused by a budget deal standoff in the Senate.
Funding was restored the same day.
December 22, 2018 – January 25, 2019 (35 days)
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Caused by Trump’s demand for border wall funding ($5.7 billion) and Democrats’ refusal.
Affected about 800,000 federal workers, many of whom worked without pay.
I’ve tried to stay positive, to talk about unity. But I can’t keep repeating “United we stand, divided we fall” when leaders in Washington won’t even meet in the same room.
When I served in Iraq, I watched young soldiers wire home every cent to their families. No one gets rich serving their country. The paycheck is the bare minimum. To threaten that over political gamesmanship is unconscionable.
We need true bipartisanship. Democrats and Republicans should recognize that shutting down the government, especially at the expense of our troops, is political malpractice. The President or Congress shouldn’t get paid if our troops don’t.
The Broader Economic Picture
Below are some compelling graphs of the U.S. economy shared in Bruce Mehlman’s Six-Chart Sunday Substack.
Markets: Despite everything, the S&P 500 is at an all-time high.
Inflation: It’s up too—2.9% this year—while job growth has stagnated. For Gen Z grads, it’s one of the worst job markets in decades.
Tariffs: Trump’s unilateral tariffs, imposed without congressional approval, have warped trade and stoked inflation.
Bankruptcies: Nearly 1 in 10 U.S. companies are in distress. Even Hallmark—yes, the company my mom singlehandedly keeps in business with her birthday and Christmas card habit—is struggling.
National Debt: $37 trillion. That’s 120% of our GDP, a higher ratio than even during WWII. Last year, we spent $882 billion just paying interest—more than we spent on defense.
The Congressional Budget Office warns that under current policies, America’s debt-to-GDP ratio will soar to unprecedented levels by 2035—higher than after the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, and the Great Influenza combined. Unless AI-driven productivity somehow rescues us, we’re in uncharted territory. So far in 2025, the federal deficit is running about 3.5% higher than the same period last year, with overall federal spending up nearly 7% year-to-date, according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model’s real-time tracker.
Public Opinion
Trump’s polling numbers are sinking, even in places he once carried, like my hometown of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. On immigration, on the economy, on nearly every issue, independents are breaking against him. I know polls don’t vote. But local elections are being held on Nov 4, and people are paying attention.
A recent Ipsos/Washington Post poll found that a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of nearly every major issue:
Tariffs: 34% approve, 64% disapprove
Economy: 40% approve, 59% disapprove
Crime: 44% approve, 54% disapprove
Immigration: 44% approve, 55% disapprove
Russia-Ukraine: 38% approve, 60% disapprove (Russia just expanded their offensive by hitting NATO member Poland with drones)
Israel-Gaza: 39% approve, 58% disapprove
The Way Forward
Basic decency demands better. Governing demands compromise and selfless leadership. And unity—like the kind Erika Kirk called for in the midst of unimaginable loss—demands that we finally remember the truth: America is stronger when we stand together, and weaker when we choose to fall apart.
We - the United States of America - are better than this. It’s time for our leaders to prove it.