Gingrich Critiques Democrats’ Shutdown Strategy
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich expressed on Wednesday that Congressional Democrats are lacking a “greater moral purpose” in their conflict with President Donald Trump regarding the government shutdown.
Following the House’s passage of a short-term funding bill on September 19, the federal government entered a partial shutdown at 12:01 a.m. ET on October 1. This occurred after the Senate couldn’t secure the necessary 60 votes to pass a continuing resolution due to a Democratic filibuster. On “Faulkner Focus,” Gingrich shared his thoughts with host Harris Faulkner, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, and Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., stating that Schumer “made a mistake” with what he called a “double negative strategy.”
“I think the key to closure is having a moral purpose so great that the country comes together,” Gingrich remarked. “That’s where I think Democrats went wrong. We have a project called America’s New Majority Project. We tested it. People have two attitudes: one is don’t shut down the government; and the other is don’t shut down the government. They’re not in favor of increasing spending. So what does Schumer do? He shuts down the government to increase spending. It’s tricky to have a double negative strategy that backfires on all fronts.”
Gingrich also noted Trump’s strong approach during a recent Middle East trip, suggesting that while Trump is often strategic and resolute, he might be feeling pressure to relent to Democratic demands.
Schumer faced backlash from leftist media and fellow Democrats for his previous choice to help advance a Republican-supported spending bill aimed at sidestepping a government shutdown back in March. Calls have come from Democrats for over $1 trillion in funding to support various initiatives, such as extending enhanced Obamacare benefits from the COVID-19 pandemic and restoring funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CBP), which is scheduled to shut down in January 2026 due to funding cuts made earlier.
Additionally, Gingrich suggested that Trump might consider shutting down “the Democratic branch of government” and hinted that furloughs for non-essential workers could become permanent.
“I always thought that in a big snowstorm, they would say only essential workers should come,” he said. “It’s somewhat risky to label someone as non-essential. If you’re not considered essential, well, why keep them on board? Gallup Polls indicate that people estimate about 50% waste in federal government spending.”
“So you can’t cut government, you can’t reform it, nor can you eliminate absurd projects like California High-Speed Rail, which seems utterly pointless and a waste of funds. The New York City subway expansion is also ten times more expensive than similar projects in London or Paris, thanks to union work rules,” Gingrich continued. “I believe the average American will likely think okay, let’s do what we need, let’s get the budget under control, let’s work towards balance, and, frankly, the Democrats are going to lose this battle.”
