The Showdown in Washington Is about More Than the Budget
Published in Der Standard
(Austria) on 1 October 2025
by Manuela Honsig-Erlenburg (link to
original)
The Democrats are seizing the opportunity to oppose Donald Trump in the battle for the budget. The United States must understand: His only goal is power.
The United States government has been shut down since Wednesday just past midnight. A final attempt to avoid the shutdown by enacting a transitional budget failed in Congress, as the Senate failed to secure enough votes in a final attempt to do so.
This is a dangerous situation. Of course, this is not the first shutdown in the United States and it will also not be the last. But this time, the United States finds itself turning into an autocracy. Ahead of the shutdown, Donald Trump threatened to make “irreversible” decisions using expanded authority. By this he means he could fire “nonessential” federal employees whom he considers disloyal. It is one more step toward autocracy: politically reshaping the civil service.
The Democrats are counting on people seeing their total blockade of the budget as a service. In return for their approval, Democrats are demanding the reversal of extremely unpopular health care cuts. At least, that is the superficial narrative.
Fundamentally, it’s also about somehow finally opposing Trump’s insanity. Trump is ignoring U.S. federalism, using the judiciary against political opponents and the media, governing beyond his authority and demonizing Democrats in general as the “radical left.” The matter of the budget is one of the few in which Democrats have political influence. Sixty out of 100 senators must agree to pass the budget.
Trump’s Reaction
This is an opportune moment. Americans are already unhappy with Trump’s administration, anyway. The extent of this disapproval will determine whom the country blames for the massive inconvenience and loss of income that a prolonged shutdown of agencies and offices could mean. It will also be interesting to see whether Trump makes good on his threat to fire more federal employees.
In any case, it is high time to deploy the opposition’s weapons against growing authoritarian tendencies. The government’s systematic abuses and Trump’s obsession with asserting executive power to gain control over even the dominant parts of the country that are primarily Democratic through executive orders are growing ever more massive. The most recent terrifying warning came on Tuesday, at a meeting in Quantico with U.S. generals, who traveled there from around the world. Trump called for the use of the military against the “enemy from within.”
Civil War Rhetoric
This clear civil war rhetoric really should raise even louder alarm bells among civilians as well. For this man, it’s not about the best compromise, but rather purely about satisfying his own desire for power.
However, if the Democrats’ lockdown strategy turns out to be a miscalculation, this attempt to sound a wake-up call will further entrench authoritarian tendencies. For the United States, one can only hope people will hear the siren.
The United States government has been shut down since Wednesday just past midnight. A final attempt to avoid the shutdown by enacting a transitional budget failed in Congress, as the Senate failed to secure enough votes in a final attempt to do so.
This is a dangerous situation. Of course, this is not the first shutdown in the United States and it will also not be the last. But this time, the United States finds itself turning into an autocracy. Ahead of the shutdown, Donald Trump threatened to make “irreversible” decisions using expanded authority. By this he means he could fire “nonessential” federal employees whom he considers disloyal. It is one more step toward autocracy: politically reshaping the civil service.
The Democrats are counting on people seeing their total blockade of the budget as a service. In return for their approval, Democrats are demanding the reversal of extremely unpopular health care cuts. At least, that is the superficial narrative.
Fundamentally, it’s also about somehow finally opposing Trump’s insanity. Trump is ignoring U.S. federalism, using the judiciary against political opponents and the media, governing beyond his authority and demonizing Democrats in general as the “radical left.” The matter of the budget is one of the few in which Democrats have political influence. Sixty out of 100 senators must agree to pass the budget.
Trump’s Reaction
This is an opportune moment. Americans are already unhappy with Trump’s administration, anyway. The extent of this disapproval will determine whom the country blames for the massive inconvenience and loss of income that a prolonged shutdown of agencies and offices could mean. It will also be interesting to see whether Trump makes good on his threat to fire more federal employees.
In any case, it is high time to deploy the opposition’s weapons against growing authoritarian tendencies. The government’s systematic abuses and Trump’s obsession with asserting executive power to gain control over even the dominant parts of the country that are primarily Democratic through executive orders are growing ever more massive. The most recent terrifying warning came on Tuesday, at a meeting in Quantico with U.S. generals, who traveled there from around the world. Trump called for the use of the military against the “enemy from within.”
Civil War Rhetoric
This clear civil war rhetoric really should raise even louder alarm bells among civilians as well. For this man, it’s not about the best compromise, but rather purely about satisfying his own desire for power.
However, if the Democrats’ lockdown strategy turns out to be a miscalculation, this attempt to sound a wake-up call will further entrench authoritarian tendencies. For the United States, one can only hope people will hear the siren.
Previous article![]( "Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan – Some Cause for Optimism, but Will It Be Enough?")
