New York Times columnist Ezra Klein said Sunday that Senate Democrats should consider forcing a government shutdown rather than providing funding to what he described as President Donald Trump’s effort to "corrupt" federal institutions.
Klein, speaking on his podcast "The Ezra Klein Show," said the continuing resolution passed in March that keeps parts of the government funded will expire at the end of this month, raising the prospect of a partial shutdown. He argued that Democrats face a moral judgment about whether to help maintain a government he said Trump is using to "hound his enemies, to line his pockets and to entrench his own power." Klein likened the alleged corruption to a "Mafia" takeover of government functions.
Klein acknowledged uncertainty about whether a shutdown would be an effective strategy and said Democrats may not be prepared to win such a confrontation. "I am not certain that Democrats can win a shutdown — I am not certain that they have the leaders that they need," he said, while adding that continuing to fund a government he portrayed as being repurposed for private gain would be morally wrong.
Progressive House Democrats earlier this year urged Senate colleagues to block funding, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., supported and encouraged colleagues to back the March continuing resolution, drawing criticism from the party's left wing. Klein said that at the time he was inclined to agree with Schumer’s tactical judgment that Democrats were not prepared to carry a shutdown fight, but that the current moment merits "real opposition."
Congressional leaders face an Oct. 1 deadline to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through the remainder of the fiscal year. Because of Senate rules, Republicans will need Democratic votes to overcome a filibuster to advance most funding measures, which places decisions by Senate Democrats at the center of the dispute.
Klein framed his recommendation as a choice between short-term political risk and longer-term complicity, saying Democrats should not be complicit in sustaining a government they believe the president is abusing for personal and political gain. He said he was not absolutely sure a shutdown would be the right move tactically but argued that simply partnering with Republicans to maintain funding would amount to enabling Trump's consolidation of power.
Fox News Digital reported it reached out to the Democratic National Committee for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Congressional leaders from both parties are expected to continue negotiations in the coming weeks as the deadline approaches.
House and Senate leaders must secure passage of a continuing resolution or full-year appropriations to avoid lapses in funding. Any move by Senate Democrats to withhold votes would force a difficult political calculation over whether to sustain a shutdown fight and how to frame the dispute to voters.
Klein’s comments come as Democratic strategists, progressive activists and party leaders weigh competing priorities: preventing disruption of government services and federal employees’ pay, while opposing policies and practices they say would consolidate executive power. The debate among Democrats reflects enduring tensions over tactics and messaging as both parties prepare for high-stakes political battles ahead of the November elections.