President Donald Trump called Democrats “kamikaze” as he blamed them for the US government shutdown entering its sixth week on Wednesday, becoming the longest in history and surpassing the 35-day record set during his first term.“I just got back from Japan,” Trump told a breakfast meeting with Republican senators at the White House. “I talked about the kamikaze pilots. I think these guys are kamikaze. They’ll take down the country if they have to,” he added, as quoted by AFP.The shutdown, which began over over a dispute on health care spending, has left federal agencies operating at a standstill since Congress failed to approve funding past September 30, leaving millions of Americans facing disruptions to essential services. Democrats say they will only vote to end the funding lapse after a deal to extend expiring insurance subsidies, while Republicans insist they will only address health care once Democrats have voted to restore funding. Some 1.4 million federal workers, including air traffic controllers and park wardens, are either on unpaid leave or working without pay. Courts are relying on emergency funds to continue operations, warning that services could slow further if the shutdown persists.The administration has warned of potential chaos at airports if the shutdown continues into November. More than 60,000 air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are working without pay. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in Philadelphia, “So if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos…you will see mass flight delays. You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers,” as quoted by AFP.Some moderate Democrats are exploring potential compromises, but both parties’ leadership show little willingness to budge.Trump told CBS News he would “not be extorted.”The shutdown also threatens vital welfare programs. The administration has warned it may cut off a key food aid program, which helps 42 million Americans buy groceries, although two courts have blocked this move. The White House later clarified that it is “fully complying” with legal obligations and is working to get partial SNAP payments “out the door as much as we can and as quickly as we can.”Past shutdowns have shown how airport delays can escalate when workers call in sick rather than work without pay, a factor that contributed to Trump ending the 2019 shutdown. Democrats hope that rising insurance premiums for millions of Americans will pressure Republicans into compromise, but the standoff shows little sign of resolution.
