The shutdown is on, and across the fruited plain, a fair number of Americans are asking, “What happens now?” Well, a big part of what happens next is that Democrats need to realize when they’re pushing a losing argument. They’re demanding $1.5 trillion in new spending, the extension of COVID-era emergency spending, and healthcare for illegal aliens – and none of those are winning propositions.

On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance appeared on Fox News to talk about the Schumer Shutdown, and as he so often does, the VP made some interesting and cogent points. First, on the issue of the shutdown itself:

.@VP: “[Democrats] shut down the government. Why? Because they’re not getting what they want.”

(Health care for illegals) pic.twitter.com/4g7OBIv2QK

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 1, 2025

The VP says:

You don’t shut the government down because you have a policy disagreement. These are two separate questions. There are essential services that have already been appropriated, where we’ve already agreed, you know, we want our military to have a certain amount of payment. We want air traffic control to have a certain amount, we want to ensure that a certain number of people are able to access food benefits. You don’t shut down the government because you have a policy disagreement over a totally separate issue and that’s what the Democrats have done, and it really is astonishing. 

To go back 20 years, and pretty much the entire time, that I’ve paid attention to American politics, I have seen Democrats stand before the American people and say, “You don’t shut down the government because you’re not getting what you want.” And here they are, last night, the far-left faction of Senate Democrats, they shut down the government. Why? Because they’re not getting what they want. And what makes it extra preposterous, if you actually listen to what they say, they say they want to ensure that it’s a premium support program under Obamacare, that they want to keep going. Well, that premium support program doesn’t even expire until next year. 

So why are you shutting down the government on October the first because of a program that doesn’t even expire for another few months? Let’s talk about it, let’s negotiate, let’s do what you do in Washington, D.C., don’t shut down the government because you don’t get what you want. That’s exactly what Senate Democrats have done in this case.

Of course, the Democrats have a motivation that VP Vance, for all his brilliance, doesn’t mention. This motivation inspires Democrats in the House and Senate to throw every roadblock they can at the Trump administration, because Orange Man Bad, and the country’s best interests just aren’t a priority for them right now. That’s not a winning message, but Democrats are anything but rational on this issue.

On the “health care for illegal aliens” point, the VP had some more pointed comments:

.@VP nukes the Democrat lie that they aren’t trying to give free health care to illegals:

“It’s not something that we made up. It’s not a talking point. It is in the text of the bill that they initially gave to us to reopen the government.” pic.twitter.com/regw9fGH1i

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 1, 2025