The government shutdown is handing Donald Trump the biggest opportunity to drain the swamp he’s ever had.
But spineless Senate Republicans are begging him to throw it all away.
And John Thune just handed Trump one betrayal that could destroy his entire second term.
Senate Majority Leader begs Trump to spare government workers
President Trump saw the government shutdown coming from miles away – and he had a plan ready.
"The Democrats want to shut it down, well when you shut it down, you have to do layoffs. So we’d be laying off a lot of people that are going to be very affected. And they’re Democrats," Trump told reporters as the September 30 deadline approached.¹
The President doubled down after Democrats forced the shutdown to begin.
"Republicans must use this opportunity of Democrat forced closure to clear out dead wood, waste, and fraud. Billions of Dollars can be saved. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump posted on Truth Social.²
But Senate Majority Leader John Thune – who wasn’t Trump supporters’ first choice for the leadership role – is now reportedly actively working against the President’s strategy.
According to reports from The Wall Street Journal and The Daily Beast, Thune has privately urged Trump to scale back his shutdown strategy, expressing concerns about political consequences.³
These are the same Republicans who spent years promising to shrink government while doing absolutely nothing when they had the chance.
Now that Trump is ready to actually deliver on those promises, they’re getting cold feet.
Thune teams up with Democrats to protect the swamp
The circumstances couldn’t be more perfect for Republicans to finally follow through on their campaign promises.
Democrats are holding out to extend Obamacare tax credits and include subsidies for illegal immigrants in any funding deal.
They forced this shutdown by refusing to negotiate – and now they’re stuck defending the indefensible.
"The only reason we are forced to have these conversations is because the Democrats shut down the government," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the Journal.⁴
But instead of letting Trump capitalize on this golden opportunity, establishment Republicans are worried about the political fallout.⁵
Reports indicate that GOP leaders have expressed concerns to the White House about pursuing mass layoffs and benefit cuts during the ongoing shutdown.
Look, this is exactly the kind of thinking that kept Republicans losing for decades.
They’re more worried about what Chuck Schumer might say than they are about delivering on the promises that got them elected.
Republicans waste once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Trump laid out exactly what this shutdown means during previous statements about the opportunity it presents.
He called it an "unprecedented opportunity" to drain the swamp and get rid of programs that shouldn’t exist in the first place.
The stage is set perfectly.
Democrats forced the shutdown over their radical priorities, giving Trump all the political cover he needs to start swinging the budget axe.
But Thune and his fellow establishment Republicans are suffering from what can only be described as political PTSD.
They’ve spent so many years as the losing party that they can’t wrap their heads around the idea of actually winning for once.
These Republicans are terrified that Americans might blame them if healthcare costs go up due to the standoff over Affordable Care Act subsidies.
But Conservatives understand its this kind of spinelessness on Big Government spending that’s increased the cost of living at insane levels over the last few decades.
It’s is exactly the same cowardice that prevented the GOP from repealing Obamacare when they controlled everything during Trump’s first term.
News reports suggest that while some Republicans like Senator Ted Cruz support federal worker layoffs, others in the party are concerned about voter reaction.⁶
But here’s what Thune doesn’t understand – Republican voters didn’t elect them to worry about political blowback.
They elected them to actually shrink government and drain the swamp.
The ultimate betrayal of Republican voters
Republican voters have been waiting literally decades for someone with the backbone to actually reduce the size of government.
They finally elected a President willing to do exactly that – and now their own party leaders are standing in his way.
Thune wasn’t exactly Trump supporters’ favorite choice for Senate Majority Leader in the first place.
Now he’s proving exactly why conservatives had their doubts about him.
The man is actively working to protect the same bloated federal bureaucracy that spent four years trying to destroy Trump’s presidency.
Recent reporting indicates there are signs Trump might be reconsidering his approach.
The administration has yet to follow through on promised mass firings, and there are discussions about providing back pay and other measures to soften the impact.⁷
This is exactly what happens when establishment Republicans get in Trump’s ear and convince him to play it safe instead of delivering on his promises.
The real-world consequences of the shutdown are already mounting.
Air traffic controllers are working without pay, causing airport delays.
Federal workers face the possibility of missed paychecks if the stalemate continues past October 15.
But you know what? That’s exactly the kind of pressure that should force Democrats to the negotiating table.
Instead of using this leverage, Republicans like Thune are worried about the optics and begging Trump to back down.
Trump needs to ignore the establishment
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is probably laughing at how easy it is to spook these Republicans.
All he has to do is threaten some political consequences and they start running for the exits.
But Trump didn’t get elected by listening to the same Republican consultants who lost election after election before he came along.
He got elected by promising to actually fight the swamp – not negotiate with it.
Thune’s concerns about political consequences reflect exactly the kind of thinking that kept Republicans in the minority for so long.
Reports suggest Republicans believe their message should focus on Democrats "holding the government hostage," while leaving subsidy discussions for after any reopening vote.⁸
But that’s backwards thinking.
Democrats ARE holding the government hostage – so why should Republicans be the ones making concessions?
This is Trump’s chance to prove that elections have consequences and that he’s serious about delivering on his campaign promises.
To throw that away because John Thune is worried about poll numbers would be the ultimate betrayal of every Republican voter who waited through years of empty promises for this exact moment.
The shutdown gives Trump unprecedented leverage to actually drain the swamp.
The only thing standing in his way are Republican senators who apparently prefer losing gracefully to winning decisively.
Trump needs to ignore the establishment hand-wringers and do what Republican voters sent him to Washington to do.
This opportunity won’t come around again.
¹ Tom Latchem, "Panicked Republicans Beg Trump to Ditch His Shutdown Plot," The Daily Beast, October 9, 2025.
² Christine Favocci, "Report: Thune Betrays MAGA, Begs Trump Not to Lay Off Government Employees During Shutdown, Wastes Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity," The Western Journal, October 10, 2025.
³ Tom Latchem, "Panicked Republicans Beg Trump to Ditch His Shutdown Plot," The Daily Beast, October 9, 2025.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ Ibid.
