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Former Vice President Kamala Harris‘ memoir recapping her experiences on the 2024 campaign trail includes a handful of inaccuracies that opened the doors to questions about whether the former Democrat Party leader hired a fact-checker to review her personal retelling of the unprecedented election year. 

Harris is currently facing blowback from Biden allies for her portrayal of the 46th president, including taking shots at his “recklessness” for launching a re-election effort as an octogenarian who had been in public office for more than 50 years, and claiming the Biden White House turned its backs on providing her coverage when negative press plagued headlines. 

Outside of Biden staffers taking issue with the former VP’s personal anecdotes of the book, Harris also included a handful of inaccuracies in the memoir’s copy and has made questionable claims from the book tour, a Fox News Digital review found. 

Fox News Digital asked Harris’ office if a fact-checker was hired to review the memoir or Harris’ comments while on her international book tour and did not receive a response. 

HARRIS WAS STUNNED OVER BIDEN’S BOTCHED DEBATE RESPONSE ABOUT FALLEN SERVICE MEMBERS IN AFGHANISTAN

‘13 marines’ were killed in botched withdrawal 

Harris inaccurately claimed only U.S. Marines were killed during the Biden–Harris administration’s botched and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, omitting mention that one soldier and one Navy corpsman were among the 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing at the Kabul Airport’s Abbey Gate. 

Harris’ inaccuracies were included in a section of her book focused on then-President Biden failing to accurately debate Trump on his military leadership during his failed 2024 debate against Trump. 

“He’s got so much material on this—Trump calling our fallen soldiers ‘suckers and losers,’” Harris wrote of what ran through her head when Biden was asked about his role as commander-in-chief. 

“He managed to get off that line but had stepped on it earlier by saying no one had died in wars overseas on his watch, seeming to forget the thirteen marines who died in the bomb blast at the airport during the evacuation of Afghanistan. I’d been on Air Force Two when it happened, and we had to change our flight plan to get back to DC in the face of that tragedy. How could he overlook that day?” she wrote, expressing her surprise over the response, but misidentifying those who were all killed as members of the Marines Corps.

The Biden administration repeatedly came under fire for its handling of the Afghan withdrawal. The botched withdrawal, which included leaving military equipment worth millions of dollars in the hands of the Taliban, was viewed as preamble for adversaries such as Russia to invade Ukraine, as the U.S. looked weak on the international stage, critics raged at the time. 

The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan upon the U.S.’ withdrawal. 

HARRIS LITERALLY THREW ‘JOE BIDEN WON’ TALKING POINTS ON TABLE AFTER DISASTROUS DEBATE: ‘ARE YOU KIDDING ME?’

Identifies ‘Silk Road’ founder as ‘fentanyl dealer’ 

In Harris’ afterword of the book, she took issue with the individuals Trump granted clemency upon his return to the Oval Office, including those involved with the breach of the U.S. Capitol of Jan. 6, 2021, “numerous tax cheats,” and Ross Ulbricht, who Harris identified simply as a “fentanyl dealer.”

“The Justice Department is going after Trump’s enemies list, while Trump supporters have been pardoned and released: January 6 rioters who attacked police, the fentanyl dealer Ross Ulbricht, numerous tax cheats,” Harris wrote. 

Ulbricht, however, was never charged or convicted of fentanyl-specific crimes.

Ulbricht was the founder of the now-defunct darknet drug market previously called Silk Road, which is viewed as the first modern version of the dark web. He was arrested in 2013 at the age of 29, and found guilty in 2015 of distributing narcotics (via conspiracy), distributing narcotics by means of the internet, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit computer hacking and continuing criminal enterprise.

Fentanyl is a wildly powerful synthetic opioid that has gripped the nation and caused an increase in overdose deaths. Fentanyl overdose deaths did not dramatically rise until 2013, when Ulbricht was arrested, and followed previous national addiction trends to prescription opioids and heroin between the late 1990s and 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. 

Ulbricht, who identifies as a political libertarian, was sentenced to life without parole, with his friends and family advocating for his release during the more than 11 years he spent behind bars. Trump answered the call to pardon him Jan. 21. 

“I just called the mother of Ross William (Ulbricht) to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,” Trump wrote in a social media post after his inauguration. “The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!”

Following Harris’ book release, the now-free Ulbricht took her claim of identifying him as a “fentanyl dealer” head-on in an X post slamming the characterization. 

“Hey@KamalaHarris, You called me ‘the fentanyl dealer’ in your new book and attacked President Trump for freeing me after more than *ELEVEN* years in prison. Yet, I wasn’t prosecuted for dealing drugs myself and fentanyl wasn’t part of my charges. The truth has never mattered to you. The goal is just to make me and President Trump look bad at all cost, isn’t it? Don’t be a sore loser, Kamala,” he wrote. 

KAMALA HARRIS PLAYS UP COZY RELATIONSHIP WITH HILLARY CLINTON AS WEDGE WITH BIDEN WIDENS

‘Closest election’ in the 21st century 

Harris launched her book tour in September, when she began joining media interviews and stops in cities across the country to celebrate her 107-day campaign, and also repeatedly has claimed it was the “closest election” this century. 

“It was the closest election in the 21st century. It was one of the top three closest elections in the last century. So for all those pundits who want to say that America is not ready for a woman to be president, I reject that,” Harris said during her New York City book stop on Sept. 24. 

She again claimed just days later from Howard University: “By the way, what is also historic about that, in many ways — it was the closest election for president of the United States in the 21st Century.”

“Period. Period,” she added. 

Harris lost both the Electoral College and popular vote to Trump during the 2024 election in a defeat that also included each of the seven battleground states voting in favor of Trump. Harris ended the campaign with 75,019,617 total votes to Trump’s 77,304,184 votes, and 226 electoral votes to Trump’s 312. 

The 2000 election between George W. Bush and then-Vice President Al Gore is considered the closest election of this century, was ultimately decided by 537 votes in Florida. Bush also notably lost the popular vote in that election, but secured the needed electoral votes to cinch victory, while Trump also lost the popular vote but won the Electoral College in the 2016 election against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

FROM TELL ALL TO END ALL: FORMER VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS’ 5 BIG CAREER MISTAKES

Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’ post-administration office Tuesday inquiring if her team hired a fact-checker to review the book or Harris’ comment on the 2024 election being the “closest” this century but did not receive a response. 

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Harris’ book tour is set to run through at least Nov. 20, and includes stops Toronto and in London. 

A federal judge in Idaho ruled that a public charter school violated a church’s First Amendment rights when it canceled a lease that allowed the church to hold Sunday services inside its gymnasium. 

The decision from Chief U.S. District Court Judge David Nye came in response to a lawsuit centering on a lease agreement between Truth Family Bible Church and Sage International, a charter school with a campus in Middleton, according to Idaho Education News. 

The website reported that when the lease was canceled last year, Sage International was applying for around $15 million in bonds to finance building upgrades through the Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA). Attorneys for the state’s bonding authority then flagged the church’s lease as a potential breach of Idaho’s Blaine Amendment, which blocks religious organizations from receiving taxpayer money, it added. 

Nye reportedly wrote in his ruling that the concern was a “lapse in judgment,” as Truth Family Bible Church would have “only incidentally benefited from the bond-improved facilities,” with no funds being given directly to them. 

FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN MINNESOTA LAW BARRING RELIGIOUS COLLEGES FROM STATE PROGRAM 

“IHFA and Sage’s motivations for terminating Truth Family’s lease, whether reasonable or not, were still a violation of Truth Family’s constitutional rights,” Nye also said, according to Idaho Education News. 

The website said an attorney representing the church argued that using the Blaine Amendment to terminate the lease ran afoul of the First Amendment’s Free Exercise, Establishment and Free Speech clauses.  

Nye agreed with each of the First Amendment claims, writing in his ruling that the move to cancel the church’s lease “effectively stifled” its religious speech, Idaho Education News reported. 

“We’re pleased with this outcome,” Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, whose office intervened in the case, told Idaho Education News through a spokesperson. “Government agencies cannot discriminate against religious organizations simply because they’re religious. Truth Family Bible Church deserved the same treatment as any secular group, and we’re glad the court recognized this.” 

VERMONT CHRISTIAN SCHOOL REINSTATED AFTER BEING BANNED OVER TRANSGENDER ATHLETE CONTROVERSY 

A spokesperson for IHFA told Idaho Education News that, “We welcome the legal clarity the court’s ruling provides, helping to ensure that this type of issue doesn’t arise in the future.” 

On its website, Truth Family Bible Church describes itself as a “new church plant in Middleton, Idaho.” 

“It began as a home Bible Study that met for several years. As we began to grow, the Lord led us to begin talking about planting a new church since most of those in attendance were parts of various churches in Ada County,” the church said. “Our goal is to faithfully minister the Word of God as a light to our community and the world, declaring that Christ is Lord of all.” 

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At the moment, the church is holding its Sunday services at another school’s gym.  

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans’ campaign arm is going after Democrats hours after the federal government entered a shutdown at midnight on Wednesday.

A new National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) ad being rolled out in 42 battleground districts is aimed at putting pressure on Democratic lawmakers to accept the GOP’s plan and end the shutdown.

“Democrats refused to fund the government. So now military troops, police and Border Patrol lose their paychecks. Because of Democrats, veterans, farmers, small businesses lose critical funding. Disaster relief — cut off,” a voiceover states.

“Democrats are grinding America to a halt in order to give illegal immigrants free healthcare. Tell Democrats: Stop the shutdown.”

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

The ad buy came at a four-figure price tag, according to an NRCC spokesperson.

It’s being rolled out in 25 districts represented by Democrats and 17 held by Republicans.

The federal government shut down overnight after Democrats and Republicans in the Senate failed to reach a spending agreement in time for the end of fiscal year (FY) 2025 on Sept. 30.

A short-term extension of FY 2025 funding, aimed at giving Congress more time to reach a longer-term deal, failed to advance in the Senate on Tuesday evening.

The measure, aimed at keeping the government open through Nov. 21, passed the House mainly along party lines earlier this month.

Democrats were angered at being sidelined in the spending negotiations, and by the GOP bill’s exclusion of enhanced COVID-19-era Obamacare subsidies. Those subsidies, passed in 2021 under President Joe Biden, are set to expire by the end of 2025 without congressional action.

Republicans have signaled that they will not budge from their measure, citing Democrats’ past support for similar bills aimed at averting shutdowns.

“Out of touch Democrats shut down the government to bankroll handouts for illegal immigrants and appease their radical base. Voters won’t forget who betrayed them, and the NRCC will make sure Democrats pay the price,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital.

SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS FACE HEAT FOR SHIFTING STANCE ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREAT

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President Donald Trump and his administration have wide discretion over what changes occur during a shutdown.

However, it’s likely that thousands of government employees get furloughed, while others are made to work without paychecks until funding is reinstituted. A host of federal agencies and services could also be shuttered.

Some federal workers could lose their jobs permanently as well, with Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought issuing guidance earlier this month warning offices to consider plans for mass layoffs in the event of a shutdown.

New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill is facing criticisms that she is the “Kamala Harris of New Jersey” as the Garden State enters its final leg of an election cycle that will either flip it red or elect a likely next star for the Democratic Party. 

Sherrill is in the midst of a tight race against her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, whose campaign has slammed Sherrill as similar to former Vice President Kamala Harris for occasional gaffes, claims she shies away from public events and for allegedly running a “choreographed” campaign. 

“There’s similarities (between Sherrill and Harris) in that they both are incapable of answering basic questions and seem to have a penchant for putting their foot in their mouth,” Chris Russell, a New Jersey GOP consultant who works with the Ciattarelli campaign, told the New York Post earlier in September. They “hide from the press, hide from the public (and are) very, very managed and choreographed.”

The Democratic Party is currently seeking out its next big-name stars after Harris failed to rally enough support at the 2024 ballot box to defeat President Donald Trump, leaving the party in a tailspin as it looks for fresh leadership going into the midterms. New Jersey and Virginia are the only states holding gubernatorial elections in 2025, providing Sherrill and Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the platform to potentially become new Democratic powerhouses if they prove victorious come election day. 

DEM GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE HIT WITH ACCUSATIONS OF NEPOTISM OVER CHILDREN’S ACCEPTANCE INTO NAVAL ACADEMY

Fox News Digital took a look at Sherrill’s professional and political background and found a handful of similarities with the former vice president as she looks to keep the Garden State blue. 

Sherrill first was elected to the U.S. House in 2018, flipping the 11th District seat away from the Republicans as part of that election year’s blue wave. Similar to Harris notching firsts as a woman in high-profile roles — most notably becoming the first female vice president in 2020 — Sherrill’s 2018 election cemented her as the first female to represent the 11th District.

Sherrill, who is a military veteran, also worked as a prosecutor in the days leading up to jumping into politics. She earned her law degree from Georgetown University before working at a New York City law firm and joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey as a federal prosecutor in 2015, according to her biography. 

Harris also served as a prosector ahead of running for elected office, launching her career in the Alameda County, California, District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney in 1990. In the late 1990s, she moved over to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office as assistant district attorney, then to the San Francisco city attorney’s office, before running in 2004 to become San Francisco’s top cop.

TOP GUBERNATORIAL RACE ROCKED BY ALLEGATIONS OF LEAKS AND DIRTY TRICKS AMID IMPROPER MILITARY RECORDS RELEASE

Unlike Harris, Sherrill is a U.S. Navy veteran and former Sea King helicopter pilot who spent more than nine years on active duty in the United States Navy. She left the Navy in 2003 at the rank of lieutenant and went into law school, according to her congressional biography. 

Sherrill has come under fire from her Republican challenger’s campaign for reportedly ducking public events and media interviews in favor of running an alleged “choreographed” campaign. A review of Sherrill’s campaign website’s “events” section Tuesday did not yield upcoming campaign events and speeches from Sherrill, but instead focused on volunteering events, such as door knocking and working phone banks. 

Sherrill did join MSNBC Monday evening, took part in a meet and greet with Jewish voters Sunday, celebrated the Hindu holiday of Navratri in Jersey City that same day, as well as addressed South Jersey voters and union members at various events earlier in September, according to a review of her campaign’s Facebook page. 

Harris was accused of avoiding the media in her first weeks as the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024. She worked to rally support for 39 days without a media interview before joining a CNN sit-down interview Aug. 29, 2024, while accompanied by then-running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

A review of Ciattarelli’s campaign website shows he has nine upcoming events listed across the state, including rallies, meet and greets and “business stops” at local shops. 

Sherrill and Ciattarelli both took part in the election cycle’s first gubernatorial debate earlier in September at Rider University, where the two sparred over the state’s notoriously high taxes, abortion and immigration. The pair is set to return to the debate stage Oct. 8. 

Similar to Harris, Sherrill also has a strong campaign platform vowing to protect abortion access, including noting on her campaign website that she supports “enshrining the right to an abortion in New Jersey’s state constitution to permanently protect reproductive freedom.” 

Harris was the first known sitting vice president to visit an abortion provider back in 2024, and repeatedly championed abortion access while on the campaign trail. 

The New Jersey Democrat also has faced campaign attacks for “gaffes,” including in May when she tripped over her words when asked in an interview what top piece of legislation she would like to pass. 

REPUBLICAN AIMING TO FLIP BLUE STATE RIPS DEM RIVAL FOR BLAMING ‘EVERYTHING ON TRUMP’

“That’s a really good question, ’cause there’s so many that are coming to mind right now,” she responded, before adding that she would like to see a federal block grant program to fund “key programs” in New Jersey, including in the “healthcare area.” 

Ciattarelli’s campaign has since used the segment of the interview in ads to slam Sherrill as having “no plans” to lead the state. 

“She’s a gaffe machine, frankly,” Russell added in a comment to the New York Post earlier in September. 

Harris frequently came under scrutiny for “word salads” during public events, which included using repetitive or confusing phrases such as “unburdened by what has been” and “children of the community are children of the community.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to Sherrill’s campaign Tuesday afternoon for comment but did not immediately receive a reply. 

“Mikie has gotten support from fellow veterans to seniors to families struggling to make ends meet to young people hoping to build their future in New Jersey,” Sherrill campaign spokesperson Sam Chan told the New York Post. 

“Jack’s campaign is desperate because Mikie is fighting for every New Jersey family and Jack is only out for himself and follows Trump’s lead without a shred of independence,” Chan added of Ciattarelli, who is in the midst of his third run for New Jersey governor. 

The gubernatorial race is heating up in its final month as Ciattarelli works to close a polling gap in the historically blue state. Current Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is term limited and unable to run for re-election. Chris Christie served as New Jersey’s last GOP governor, serving from 2010 to 2018. 

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Sherrill is in the midst of facing a campaign scandal after a report in September revealed that the United States Naval Academy blocked Sherrill from taking part in her graduation amid the cheating scandal. The three New Jersey Republicans in the U.S. House are demanding Sherrill release her military records connected to the major cheating scandal at the Naval Academy in 1994.

Democrats have since called for an investigation into the release of Sherrill’s files after it was revealed the National Personnel Records Center released Sherrill’s improperly redacted military personnel files, which included private information such as her social security number, to a Ciattarelli ally. 

Sherrill has slammed the release of the report and said she was banned from walking at her graduation because she declined to report classmates who were involved in the scandal. 

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., announced Tuesday that he has reintroduced a proposal for a constitutional amendment to dock federal lawmakers’ pay when there is a government shutdown.

“During shutdowns, federal workers are told to ‘do more with less.’ Meanwhile, Congress still cashes paychecks. That’s wrong.” Norman noted in a post on X. “I’ve reintroduced an Amendment to end Member pay during shutdowns. Zero. No back pay either!!”

The congressman thanked GOP Reps. Bob Latta of Ohio, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Eli Crane of Arizona, Cory Mills of Florida, Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, and John Joyce of Pennsylvania for cosponsoring the proposal.

MAJORITY OF AMERICAN VOTERS WARN DEMS SHOULDN’T BACK GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN OVER THIS KEY ISSUE: POLL

“Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification,” the joint resolution reads.

“A Representative or Senator may not receive compensation with respect to any period during which a Government shutdown is in effect. For purposes of this article, a Government shutdown shall be considered to be in effect if there is a lapse in appropriations for any Federal agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution,” the text reads, adding that, “Congress shall have the power to enforce this article through appropriate legislation.”

GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN AFTER CONGRESS DEADLOCKS ON SPENDING DEAL

The nation now faces a partial government shutdown on Wednesday as Republicans and Democrats have been blaming each other in recent days while failing to strike an agreement to avert a funding lapse by the deadline.

“Members of Congress have a constitutional duty to fund the government’s essential functions,” Norman said, according to a press release. “If Congress fails to meet that obligation, we should not expect taxpayers to continue paying us for inaction. No one else in America would get paid for failing to fulfill their duties—Congress should face the same principle.”

WHITE HOUSE DECLARES IMMINENT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AFTER SENATE FAILS TO PASS FUNDING BILL

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Norman is running for South Carolina governor.

When reflecting on his career, Mike Minogue highlights that he’s gone from “soldier to CEO.”

Now, the Republican combat veteran and business executive has a new mission as he declares his candidacy for governor in deep blue Massachusetts, where Democratic Gov. Maura Healey is running for re-election next year.

In a campaign launch video first shared with Fox News on Wednesday, Minogue said that “working people have been left behind” and that Massachusetts’ “current one-party system isn’t working. What we need is a new kind of public servant.”

FIVE RACES TO WATCH WITH FIVE WEEKS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2025

“I’m running to be a new kind of governor, one with the faith, the heart, and the grit to serve,” Minogue announced.

Minogue is a West Point graduate and Airborne Ranger who was awarded a Bronze Star during his service in Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Gulf War.

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He noted that his military career “carried me home to Massachusetts, where I became the CEO of Abiomed for 19 years, a public company that built the world’s smallest heart pumps.”

And the husband and father of five emphasized, “I’ve spent my life running towards problems and fixing them, to make a big difference.”

According to a release from his campaign, Minogue’s agenda is focused “on restoring affordability, accountability, and opportunity in Massachusetts. His focus includes lowering taxes, so families can keep more of their paycheck, growing the economy by retaining and recruiting businesses, and investing in education while giving parents more options for their students’ success.”

Minogue becomes the third major Republican candidate in the race, following former Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy and Brian Shortsleeve, former chief administrator and acting general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

In the Democratic Party nomination race, Healey is facing a long-shot primary challenge from criminal justice advocate Andrea James.

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While Democrats dominate federal elections and state legislative contests in Massachusetts, Republicans have had plenty of success in gubernatorial showdowns.

Before Healey’s victory in 2022, Republicans had won six of the eight previous elections for governor in the Bay State.

Senate Democrats again blocked Republicans’ short-term funding extension Tuesday afternoon, further increasing the odds of a partial government shutdown and thousands of federal workers going without paychecks.

Democratic lawmakers in the upper chamber, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., banded together to vote against the GOP’s continuing resolution (CR), a move that marked the second time Democrats impeded the legislation’s progress this month.

Congress has until midnight Wednesday to pass a CR or else the government will shut down. However, the possibility of that happening became increasingly unlikely throughout the day as Republicans and Democrats huddled behind closed doors in separate meetings hours before the vote. 

The bill, which was passed by the House GOP earlier this month, failed on a largely party-line vote, 55-45. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the lone Republican to vote against the bill, while Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine, crossed the aisle to vote for the funding extension.

JD VANCE SAYS GOVERNMENT LIKELY ‘HEADED INTO A SHUTDOWN’ AFTER TRUMP MEETS WITH DEMS

Democrats also tried to advance their own counter-proposal, but that bill was similarly blocked by Senate Republicans.

There is still time to avert a partial shutdown, but the window is closing fast. If Schumer and Thune are unable to find a path forward, it would mark the third shutdown under President Donald Trump.

When asked if he believed a shutdown was inevitable, Trump said, “Nothing is inevitable.” 

“But I would say it’s probably likely, because they want to give healthcare to illegal immigrants, which will destroy healthcare for everybody else in our country,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “And I didn’t see them bend even a little bit when I said we can’t do that.” 

Shortly after the vote, however, the Office of Management and Budget released a memo that the appropriations for Fiscal Year 2025 would run out at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, making a shutdown official. 

“It is unclear how long Democrats will maintain their untenable posture, making the duration of the shutdown difficult to predict,” the memo read. 

Republicans want to pass a “clean” short-term extension until Nov. 21 that would give appropriators time to finish spending bills, while Democrats want to extend expiring Obamacare premium subsidies, among multiple other demands.

But the chances of a deal materializing, particularly one that meets Democrats’ demands, are slim. Both Senate leaders traded barbs throughout the day, first on the Senate floor and then in back-to-back press conferences. 

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

Thune panned Democrats’ push for an extension to the expiring tax credits, which aren’t set to sunset until the end of this year, as well as their other demands to repeal the healthcare portion of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and clawback canceled funding for NPR and PBS. 

Republicans argue that reversing the cuts from Trump’s megabill and undoing the public broadcasting rescission would amount to $1.5 trillion in spending tacked onto their short-term funding extension. 

“These are things that they’re demanding as part of their so-called negotiation,” Thune said. “Ladies and gentlemen, there isn’t anything here to negotiate.”

Schumer, however, countered that the decision to shut the government down was “in their court” and charged that Democrats were working to solve the GOP’s “healthcare crisis.”

SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS FACE HEAT FOR SHIFTING STANCE ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREAT

Still, despite scoring a meeting in the Oval Office with Trump and congressional Republican leaders, in addition to public guarantees from Thune and Republicans that Obamacare tax credits could be discussed after a shutdown was averted, Schumer demanded that Democrats be cut in on negotiations to craft a bipartisan bill. 

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Earlier in the day, the top Senate Democrat commandeered a floor chart from Thune that showed how many times Democrats supported CRs under former President Joe Biden. He said that each time, Republicans were involved in the process. 

“As leader, I sat down with the Republicans every one of those years and created a bipartisan bill. Their bill is partisan. They call it clean. We call it partisan. It has no Democratic input,” Schumer said. “Thune never talked to me.” 

As the federal government heads toward a potential shutdown starting Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security assured that immigration and border operations will continue but said frontline employees could be working without pay.

DHS noted in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration will continue their “critical functions,” including ICE being able to “arrest and deport violent criminal aliens” and CBP being able to “screen goods and people” entering the U.S.

The agency also noted that the officer hiring processes will still continue, including for recruitment.

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

“While these critical operations continue, Democrats are forcing many of our nearly 200,000 frontline officers, emergency responders and employees to continue secur[ing] the Homeland without pay,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

“Far-left politicians demonize our employees every day, which has led to a 1,000% increase in assault[s] on our law enforcement. Now they are holding hostage their family’s finances and jeopardizing their welfare. This is unacceptable.”

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As of Tuesday afternoon, a government shutdown seems likely and would be the first since the end of 2018 and entering 2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term. There were also lengthy shutdowns during the Obama and Clinton administrations.

USER’S MANUAL TO A LIKELY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN TONIGHT

“The Trump administration wants a straightforward and clean CR to continue funding the government – the exact same proposal that Democrats supported just six months ago, 13 times under the Biden administration. But radical Democrats are threatening to shut the government down if they don’t get their nearly $1.5 trillion wish list of demands, including free health care for illegal aliens,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated. 

“The Democrat’s radical agenda was rejected by the American people less than a year ago at the ballot box. Now they’re trying to shut down the government and hold the American people hostage over it.” 

Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress have said Republicans should bear the blame for the shutdown.

BORDER PATROL UNION WARNS: ‘LIFE AND DEATH’ MISSION AT RISK IN SHUTDOWN FIGHT

“Republicans would rather shut down the government than protect the Affordable Care Act. A shutdown puts ACA tax credits at risk—and in Texas, premiums could jump 289%, costing families $459 more each year,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, posted to X Tuesday.

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“They passed up multiple chances to extend them in the Big Beautiful Bill; they chose not to. Families shouldn’t have to pay the price for their political games.” 

The White House has officially declared an imminent government shutdown after the Senate failed to pass a GOP-backed spending bill to keep federal agencies funded through Nov. 21.

A memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said current federal funding levels “expire at 11:59 p.m. tonight.”

“Unfortunately, Democrat senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate due to Democrats’ insane policy demands, which include $1 trillion in new spending,” the memo said.

The memo went on to say that President Donald Trump is supportive of the GOP-led funding bill, which is a short-term extension of current federal spending levels called a continuing resolution (CR), aimed at keeping the government funded for seven weeks as lawmakers work on a deal for fiscal year (FY) 2026 priorities.

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

“But it is now clear that Democrats will prevent passage of this clean CR prior to 11:59 p.m. tonight and force a government shutdown. As such, affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown,” the memo said.

“It is unclear how long Democrats will maintain their untenable posture, making the duration of the shutdown difficult to predict. Regardless, employees should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly shutdown activities.”

OMB said a follow-up memo would be issued when a spending bill is passed and signed into law by Trump, resuming full federal operations.

The GOP-led CR was tanked in the Senate on Tuesday evening, failing to reach the chamber’s 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster and proceed with debate on the bill. The vote fell 55–45, with three members of the Democratic caucus crossing the aisle and voting with Republicans.

One Republican, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted against the measure.

Democratic lawmakers in the upper chamber, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., banded together to vote against the GOP’s CR, a move that marked the second time Democrats impeded the legislation’s progress this month.

Democrats also tried to advance their own counter-proposal, but that bill was similarly blocked by Senate Republicans.

“All it takes is a handful of Democrats to join Republicans to pass the clean, nonpartisan funding bill that’s in front of us,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said after the vote failed. “And I hope, I really hope that some of them will join us to reopen the government, resume bipartisan appropriations work, and get back to the business of the American people.”

JD VANCE SAYS GOVERNMENT LIKELY ‘HEADED INTO A SHUTDOWN’ AFTER TRUMP MEETS WITH DEMS

Thune said there would be more votes on the same bill in the coming days.

When asked if Schumer would guarantee that the GOP’s CR wouldn’t get 60 votes, he said, “Look, the bottom line is, as I said, our guarantee is to the American people that we’re going to fight as hard as we can for their health care. Plain and simple.“

The Democrat-led CR would have kept the government open and funded through Oct. 31, while also including a host of priorities that Republicans deemed hyper-partisan.

Democrats’ funding plan would have repealed the Medicaid rollbacks made in Republicans’ One Big, Beautiful Bill, while restoring funding for NPR and PBS that was cut by the Trump administration earlier this year.

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Trump and his administration have wide discretion over what changes occur during a shutdown.

However, it’s likely that thousands of government employees get furloughed, while others are made to work without paychecks until funding is re-instituted. A host of federal agencies and services could also be shuttered.

Some federal workers could lose their jobs permanently as well, with OMB Director Russ Vought issuing guidance earlier this month warning offices to consider plans for mass layoffs in the event of a shutdown.

The move comes after the top two Democrats and top two Republicans in the House and Senate all met with Trump at the White House to discuss a path forward on federal funding, but that meeting ended with no deal in sight.

The federal government is officially entering a partial shutdown on Wednesday after the midnight funding deadline passed with Democrats and Republicans failing to agree on a funding bill.

An earlier attempt by Senate Republicans to pass a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 government funding levels, called a continuing resolution (CR), was sunk by Democrats who were furious about being sidelined in shutdown negotiations.

The bill, which would have given Congress until Nov. 21 to set FY 2026 funding priorities, passed the House largely along party lines on Sept. 19. The Senate is expected to vote on the same bill again on Wednesday, with more votes to come through the rest of the week and into the weekend until either a deal is struck or Democrats relent. 

House Republicans have been away from Washington in order to pressure the Senate to pass their bill. House Democrats, however, returned this week in a bid to paint a contrast between themselves and the GOP.

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

In addition to their anger over being sidelined, Democrats had also pushed for a CR to extend Obamacare subsidies that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic but were set to expire at the end of 2025.

Republican leaders signaled they were willing to discuss those healthcare dollars later this year but accused Democrats of risking the entire federal government over their demands.

“There isn’t any substantive reason why there ought to be a government shutdown. This is something that has been done routinely, as I said, 13 different times when the Democrats had the majority. But we are not going to be held hostage for over $1 trillion in new spending on a continuing resolution,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said ahead of the vote.

President Donald Trump and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) now have wide discretion over what federal services will remain active. However, thousands of government workers are set to be furloughed or made to temporarily work without paychecks, and a litany of federal agencies could be closed.

OMB Director Russ Vought released a memo shortly after the GOP’s CR failed that said because it was “clear” that Senate Democrats would block any more attempts to pass the bill before the deadline, “affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.”

“It is unclear how long Democrats will maintain their untenable posture, making the duration of the shutdown difficult to predict,” the memo read. “Regardless, employees should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly shutdown activities.”

Some federal workers could lose their jobs permanently as well, with OMB Director Russ Vought issuing guidance earlier this month warning offices to consider plans for mass layoffs in the event of a shutdown.

Trump told reporters earlier in the day that Republicans did not want a shutdown, but warned the GOP could inflict pain on Democrats should the government close.

“We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like,” Trump said in reference to OMB’s memo.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., responded to Trump during a press conference on Tuesday, “Well, there it is. Trump admitted himself that he is using Americans as political pawns. He is admitting that he is doing the firing of people. If God forbid it happens, he’s using Americans as pawns.”

“As I said, Democrats did not want a shutdown. We stand ready to work with Republicans to find a bipartisan compromise, and the ball is in their court,” Schumer said.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Phillip Swagel wrote a letter to Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., on Tuesday laying out the possible effects of a shutdown. 

SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS FACE HEAT FOR SHIFTING STANCE ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREAT

“In general, a longer lapse will have larger effects than a shorter one will,” Swagel wrote. 

The CBO estimated, based largely on previous reports from prior shutdowns in 2019 and 2018, that “about 750,000 employees could be furloughed each day; the total daily cost of their compensation would be roughly $400 million.” 

The report also noted that given the OMB’s directive of mass firings beyond typical furloughs, the daily cost of a shutdown could decrease. Active-duty service members would also go without pay, while lawmakers are constitutionally required to still be paid. 

And while House and Senate Republicans are both expected to be back in Washington next week, the Capitol will see certain modifications during a shutdown.

JD VANCE SAYS GOVERNMENT LIKELY ‘HEADED INTO A SHUTDOWN’ AFTER TRUMP MEETS WITH DEMS

The Capitol Visitor Center, the Botanic Garden and the Library of Congress will all be closed to visitors, according to guidance sent to lawmakers and obtained by Fox News Digital.

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Congressional delegation trips to foreign countries are also canceled during a shutdown, among other measures.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., warned House Republicans to remain unified and on-message in the event of a shutdown during a lawmaker-only call on Monday.

He also urged House Republicans to avoid political events like fundraisers for the duration of the shutdown, and to remain largely outside D.C. until the House is due to return next week.