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Republican and Democratic congressional leaders left a meeting with President Donald Trump with no deal to avert a government shutdown as the deadline fast approaches. 

Leaders met with Trump on Monday for roughly an hour to negotiate a path forward to avert a partial government shutdown, but it appeared neither side was willing to budge from their position. 

Vice President JD Vance said after the meeting, “I think we’re headed into a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing. I hope they change their mind.”

“If you look at the original they did with this negotiation, it was a $1.5 trillion spending package, basically saying the American people want to give massive amounts of money, hundreds of billions of dollars to illegal aliens for their health care, while Americans are struggling to pay their health care bills,” Vance said. “That was their initial foray into this negotiation. We thought it was absurd.”

DEMS NOT BUDGING ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEMANDS AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES TRUMP MEETING, JEFFRIES SUGGESTS

Democrats, however, have pushed back on assertions that they’re looking to salvage healthcare for anyone but the American people.

“There was a frank and direct discussion with the President of the United States and Republican leaders. But significant and meaningful differences remain,” Jeffries said. “Democrats are fighting to protect the health care of the American people, and we are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of every day America, period.”

Congress has until midnight Oct. 1 to pass a short-term funding extension, or continuing resolution (CR), to avert a partial government shutdown. The House already passed a funding extension, but the bill was blocked in the Senate earlier this month. 

Republicans and the White House want to move forward with their “clean,” short-term funding extension until Nov. 21, while Democrats have offered a counter-proposal that includes a permanent extension of expiring Obamacare tax credits and other wishlist items that are a bridge too far for the GOP. 

Vance appeared alongside Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought in a show of Republican unity after the meeting, but made clear both sides are still far apart.

Thune, holding up a copy of the funding extension, panned Jeffries and Schumer’s accusation that the bill was partisan in nature. 

Congressional Republicans argue that the House GOP’s is everything that Democrats pushed when they controlled the Senate: a “clean,” short-term extension to Nov. 21 without partisan policy riders or spending, save for millions in new spending for increased security for lawmakers. 

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

“To me, this is purely a hostage-taking exercise on the part of the Democrats,” Thune said. “We are willing to sit down and work with them on some of the issues they want to talk about, whether it’s an extension of premium tax credits, with reforms, we’re happy to have that conversation. But as of right now, this is a hijacking.”

Neither Schumer nor Jeffries took questions after their remarks, but appeared slightly more optimistic than their GOP counterparts after the meeting concluded.

“I think for the first time, the president heard our objections and heard why we needed a bipartisan bill,” Schumer said. “Their bill has not one iota of Democratic input. That is never how we’ve done this before.”

Vance said he was “highly skeptical” that it was Trump’s first time hearing the issue and said there was a bipartisan path forward on healthcare – but panned Democrats’ push to include an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Affordable Care Act (ACA) extensions in the bill.

“We want to work across the aisle to make sure that people have access to good healthcare,” he said, but added, “We are not going to let Democrats shut down the government and take a hostage unless we give them everything that they want. That’s not how the people’s government has ever worked.”

The meeting in the Oval Office comes after Trump canceled a previously scheduled confab last week with just Schumer and Jeffries. At the time, the president railed against their demands on his social media platform Truth Social and contended that congressional Democrats were pushing “radical Left policies that nobody voted for” in their counter-CR. 

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Democrats’ demands center on an extension to expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, though their counter-proposal also included language to repeal the healthcare section of the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” and a clawback of canceled NPR and PBS funding. 

Senate Republicans have argued that Democrats’ desires are unserious, and Thune has publicly said that Republicans would be willing to have discussions on the ACA subsidies, which are set to sunset at the end of this year, after the government is funded. 

Schumer insisted Democrats needed it addressed immediately, however, in a press conference back on Capitol Hill after the meeting.

“We think when they say later, they mean never. We have to do it now, first because of the timing issue and second, because now is the time we can get it done,” he said.

The White House is also leveraging the threat of mass firings should the government shut down that go beyond the standard furloughing of nonessential employees. Still, Schumer and Senate Democrats have not buckled. 

The Senate is expected to vote again on the bill on Tuesday.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

–Portland set to see Trump crime crackdown reckoning after 2020’s humiliating violence spree

-White House warns veterans’ services at risk if Dems block GOP funding bill

–Mamdani proposes massive amount of legal defense funding for immigrants in ‘Trump-proofing’ NYC plan

Shutdown 101

The clock is ticking to fund government, and so far, lawmakers do not have a path forward to avert a partial shutdown.

The Senate returned to Washington, D.C., on Monday, and congressional leaders are slated to meet with President Donald Trump to negotiate a deal on funding the government. But the last week has seen both sides point the finger at who would own closing the government.

Lawmakers have until midnight Wednesday to pass a short-term funding extension, or else the government will close. And if it does, it would be the third shutdown under Trump…Read more

White House

TRUMP’S POWER PLAY: Supreme Court showdown: Trump’s strategy to test limits of his power could spell doom for administrative state

World Stage

BEIJING BLOCKS US: China won’t let Trump take back Bagram Air Base from the Taliban without a fight

GLOVES OFF PUTIN: Trump finds new leverage in Ukraine fight with Tomahawk threat and long-range strike authorization

OLIVE BRANCH: Netanyahu apologized for airstrikes during ‘heart-to-heart’ with Qatari leader, Trump says

Capitol Hill

FLIP THE SCRIPT: Top Dems say ‘no one is above the law’ on Trump, but decry Comey case

WINE NOT: Democrats plan luxury Napa retreat as government shutdown threat looms over Congress

DEM DELAY TACTICS: Mike Johnson prepares House Republicans for likely government shutdown in lawmaker-only call

SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: Chuck Schumer denies he’s caving to left-wing pressure to force a shutdown

Across America 

ALL ODDS ON: Prediction market traders give Mamdani 84% chance of winning New York mayoral race

‘RAGE’ RESPONSE: After death threat, Virginia lawmaker says Spanberger can’t escape ‘rage’ remarks

AGITATOR ARRESTED: Chicago anti-ICE agitator faces federal charges after threatening to ‘kill’ agent

‘NOT GOING ANYWHERE’: Erika Kirk tells husband’s audience to ‘buckle up’ as she promises countless hours of unseen content

MIGRANT KILLED: Victim identified in deadly Dallas ICE facility attack

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

For the second time in less than a week, a Virginia state lawmaker up for reelection has been targeted with a death threat, amid heightening political rhetoric and the murder of Charlie Kirk.

Del. Geary Higgins, R-Lovettsville, confirmed to Fox News Digital on Monday that he was texted a death threat in which the suspect spewed expletives and said he would shoot the lawmaker at his next rally.

“Let me be clear: threats of violence have no place in our political discourse. I will not be intimidated, silenced, or deterred from doing the job I was elected to do—fighting for my constituents in Western Loudoun and Fauquier counties, and standing up for common sense,” Higgins told Fox News Digital.

Higgins had texted public subscribers to his feed his response to a racist sign held by a female activist who was protesting an appearance by Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears at an Arlington County School Board rally earlier this month.

AFTER DEATH THREAT, VIRGINIA LAWMAKER SAYS SPANBERGER CAN’T ESCAPE ‘RAGE’ REMARKS

The woman stood in the vicinity of Earle-Sears’ team with a sign reading, “Hey Winsome, if trans can’t share your bathroom, then blacks can’t share my water fountain.”

Earle-Sears is an immigrant from Jamaica who would be the first Black female governor of Virginia and the second overall, after moderate Democrat Douglas Wilder who was elected in 1989.

The suspect, Patrick Murphy, allegedly texted Higgins back after the campaign blast, telling him, “F— off, Geary.”

“I will shoot u [at] yer (sic) next public rally [t]hen send you memes with the photos,” read the message. “I know where your f—ing kids are too,” Murphy allegedly continued. Murphy faces felony charges and a court date in Leesburg next month.

Fox News Digital reached out to Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney RD Anderson’s office for further comment.

In comments to Fox News Digital, Higgins thanked Loudoun law enforcement for quickly arresting a suspect, and expressed hope the public will continue to pray for his family after the threat – as well as all public officials amid what he called a period of increasing threats and political violence.

“Unfortunately, this is the direct result of the nasty lies and constant demonization from the radical left that we’ve seen over the last few years,” Higgins added, criticizing his Democratic opponent for what he said were false advertisements and claims about his political record.

VIRGINIA LEADERS REBUKE RACIST SIGN TARGETING GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE WINSOME EARLE-SEARS: ‘REPULSIVE’

Higgins said Warrenton innkeeper John McAuliff is “up on TV right now calling me a crook and a treasonist and blatantly lying about my record,” Higgins said, referencing TV ads that used imagery and references to the Capitol riot as well as allegations Higgins profited from the burgeoning planned footprint of data centers in Virginia and West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.

“The last two sessions in Richmond we’ve been called every name under the sun. It should be shocking to no one that continuing to call your political opponents names like ‘Nazis’ will ultimately lead to violence,” Higgins warned.

A former member of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Higgins is also the last remaining Republican state delegate in a once-conservative but now increasingly liberal suburban county known for its schools’ infamous transgender bathroom policy battles.

Fox News Digital reached out to McAuliff’s campaign for comment. In one of the ads, McAuliff adds that he scrutinized Higgins as part of his campaign plan to “protect the Piedmont” from development.

In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, McAuliff said political violence has “no place in our democracy” and that “differences must be settled through debate and elections, never through threats or intimidation.”

McAuliff said he personally reached out to Higgins and was grateful no one was physically harmed and thanked law enforcement for their efforts.

Murphy, of Purcellville, was first taken into custody September 2, according to a police report obtained by Fox News Digital.

The threat against Higgins follows a similar threat in which a Dinwiddie County, Virginia man allegedly texted state Del. Kim Taylor’s campaign last week threatening to kill her and claiming Republicans are “ruining the country.”

Taylor has been prominent since her 2021 election, as she shocked the commonwealth by flipping a seat in Petersburg – one of the most Democratic-majority cities per capita in Virginia.

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Taylor faces the same Democrat she narrowly defeated by about 50 votes two years ago, Kimberly Pope Adams.

On Monday, she also clashed with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger over charged rhetoric from the left, citing recent violence that included the murder of Charlie Kirk.

Spanberger’s recent comments about “let[ting] your rage fuel you” have received criticism from the right, while the former congresswoman continues to maintain she condemns all violence and that she instead is referring to letting people’s personal feelings fuel them to write letters and knock on doors for political campaigns.

The Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office cited an active matter and declined to comment further to Fox News Digital. 

It’s often hard to separate the noise from the signal in politics.

The noise is that congressional Democrats are fighting President Donald Trump and Republicans over a prospective government shutdown and healthcare spending.

The signal is scratchy. But if you turn the squelch knob, you may detect the signal.

We won’t know who “wins” or is “blamed” for a government shutdown for weeks. But the government shutdown will likely tell us a great deal about the future of the Democratic Party.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: TRUMP HOLDS BIPARTISAN MEETING WITH CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AS WEDNESDAY SHUTDOWN LOOMS

Progressives excoriated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in March when he reluctantly provided Democratic votes to break a filibuster to avoid a government shutdown.

Democrats on both sides of Capitol Hill were apoplectic. They felt betrayed by Schumer. The New York Democrat caved to Republicans to avert the shutdown without pocketing any political concessions in return. At the time, Schumer said a shutdown under those conditions would be worse. Elon Musk was busy filleting the federal government. To hear Schumer tell it, Musk may try to block parts of the federal government from ever opening again.

Progressives fumed at Schumer. Some called for new leadership.

“There was a disappointment because Schumer had said that he was going to vote against it, and then he voted for it,” said Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., to Fox. “So there was some confusion about why he would do that.”

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHANCES ASTRONOMICAL AS CONGRESS BARRELS TOWARD DEADLINE

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other top Democrats seethed about Schumer’s March move. A senior House Republican source told Fox recently that they were stunned the government didn’t close earlier this year — surprised at Schumer’s decision to cave.

And so liberals thought that Schumer may have overstayed his welcome, and it was time to move on.

Schumer didn’t provide the necessary votes to avoid a shutdown when the Senate took a test vote to clear the way for the House-approved interim spending bill a week-and-a-half ago. So that made Schumer an easy target of the right. Plus, calling it the “Schumer Shutdown” is alliterative. It rolls off the tongue and easy for the GOP to characterize what’s going on.

That’s why lots of Republicans — and some Democrats — hope Schumer faces a challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

This explains how Republicans are trying to always flag a potential challenge to Schumer by Ocasio-Cortez. They portray Schumer as finding himself in a tight spot, having to appeal to the left-leaning base of the Democratic Party. If Democrats fold, they face an avalanche of criticism from progressives.

“That’s why Jeffries and Schumer are betwixt in between,” said Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., on Fox. “Jeffries has to worry about a primary next year and Schumer’s got to worry about AOC in 2028.”

The star of Ocasio-Cortez could shine as Schumer’s may dim. She’s deploying rhetoric which appeals to liberals when speaking of Trump at a recent town hall meeting.

“Authoritarians rely on the perception of power,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “They need people to believe that they are more powerful than they actually are.”

How Schumer handles a possible shutdown could dictate the political future of Ocasio-Cortez. That’s to say nothing of his own. Political observers consistently mention Ocasio-Cortez among the top four potential Democratic presidential candidates were she to run in 2028. No one in the Democratic Party can churn out a crowd like Ocasio-Cortez. The same with raising money.

This is why Republicans believe Schumer’s resistance hinges on self-preservation.

GARBAGE COLLECTION, TOURS TO BE SUSPENDED ON CAPITOL HILL IF THERE’S A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

“You’ve seen Sen. Schumer’s poll numbers. He’s got AOC nipping at his heels,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Fox.

Not everyone is buying the GOP line that Schumer is trying to finesse government funding around his own political fortunes.

“Do you think that Leader Schumer feels kind of footsteps from the left with Ocasio-Cortez?” asked yours truly of Jeffries.

“Leader Schumer is not even up for reelection in 2026,” replied Jeffries.

Either way, Democrats have struggled since the election about how to connect with their voters and combat Trump.

“They just want to be perceived as fighting Trump,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., on Fox. “Chuck Schumer is afraid of his own shadow at this point. They want to be perceived as the resistance more than a party that’s willing to govern.”

And since many Democrats aren’t pleased with how their party has fought back at Trump…

There are few inflection points over the course of a two-year Congress. A skirmish over government funding is one of them. So Democrats must seize the opportunity.

But there is something crafty in the Democrats’ strategy, which isn’t necessarily apparent to the casual observer.

Fights over “government funding” and “avoiding a government shutdown” aren’t terribly compelling to most voters. Yes, Democrats will talk about the possibility of a shutdown impacting federal workers and thrusting the economy into uncertainty. And Democrats always seem to pepper their arguments about Trump with concerns about “instability” and “chaos,” be it government funding or say, tariffs.

However, it’s no surprise that Democrats are attempting to convert the shutdown into something more tangible for millions of Americans: The high cost of healthcare coverage.

“Republicans have refused to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, and as a result of that, millions of working-class Americans are going to experience skyrocketing premiums, co-pays and deductibles at a time when America is already too expensive,” said Jeffries.

First, Democrats are pushing for a restoration of what they say are cuts to federal health care benefits under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill. On its face, government funding has nothing to do with what congressional Republicans approved under the hallmark of Trump’s legislative agenda. But, as we said, this is one of those inflection points. So it’s an opportunity for Democrats to emphasize what Republicans passed and portray it as a negative ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Secondly, Democrats are pushing for a renewal of subsidies for Obamacare to make healthcare costs more affordable. If Congress fails to act, costs spike for tens of millions of Americans. Granted, those subsidies don’t expire until the end of the calendar year. Not the government’s fiscal year on Oct. 1. But households will start receiving notices in the mail soon about prospective price hikes. Time the arrival of those notices with a protracted government shutdown and the Democratic arguments might start to resonate with voters.

And while votes from Democrats are essential to break a filibuster on any possible agreement, Democrats are sure to remind voters which party is in charge in Washington right now.

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“Republicans control the House and the Senate. And there’s a Republican president. If the government shuts down, it’s because Republicans want to shut the government down,” said Jeffries.

A lot of noise will consume Washington’s bandwidth if there’s a government shutdown. The sides will cast aspersions. They’ll blame each other. They want to see whose arguments resonate with people.

But if you slice through the noise, you can detect the signal. It may appear on a weak, scratchy wavelength. But a lot of the fight over a shutdown centers on how Democrats try to posture themselves against Trump, shore up their base and settle on an approach for 2026.

Zohran Mamdani, the leading New York City mayoral candidate who has been branded as a “communist” by GOP critics, criticized former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “record of disgrace” on Monday, framing a two-person race for Gracie Mansion on the heels of Mayor Eric Adams suspending his reelection campaign. 

The New York City Democratic mayoral nominee accused Cuomo, who is trailing Mamdani by 18 points among New York City registered voters in the latest Fox News survey, of planning to “clear the way” for President Donald Trump’s agenda. 

“It’s not just about who’s on the ballot. It’s about what’s on the ballot, and what we still see on that ballot showcased by Andrew Cuomo is a record of broken promises, a record of disgrace,” Mamdani told reporters. 

When reached for comment regarding Mamdani’s criticism, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said Mamdani is “lying” once again and “owes the public an explanation as to why he broke the promise he made 18 days ago to apologize for calling the NYPD racist and a threat to public safety.”

‘NEW YORK DESERVES BETTER’: MAMDANI REACTS TO ERIC ADAMS EXIT FROM MAYORAL RACE

“We are talking about someone whose life was upended because of Andrew Cuomo’s decision to cut $65 million from the Advantage program,” Mamdani said on Monday. “$65 million in a state budget of more than a $100 billion. Today, it’s more than $252 billion to make that decision. The cruelty that is at the heart of that decision is what New Yorkers want to turn the page on.”

ERIC ADAMS DROPS OUT OF NYC MAYORAL RACE AS MAMDANI GAINS GROUND

Less than 24 hours after Adams suspended his reelection campaign, Mamdani hosted a news conference with Kasha Phillips-Lewis, a New Yorker who said she was left homeless after Cuomo cut funding for the Advantage rental assistance program in 2011. 

“This is a moot issue that happened 14 years ago – when Mamdani was in college – amid a $10 billion shortfall and that funding has been replaced and increased many times over through other rental assistance programs,” Cuomo’s campaign explained in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

Azzopardi said Mamdani is hiding from his own, more recent, record, including his pledge to decriminalize prostitution, past plan to deploy social workers to respond to domestic violence calls instead of police officers and his past comments calling to “seize the means of production.”

Adams announced he was suspending his campaign in a video on Sunday, prompting the leading mayoral candidates to sharpen their political jabs against each other the next morning. 

While Republican nominee Sliwa has maintained that he is not dropping out of the race, Mamdani on Monday framed the election as a two-person race with Adams now in the rearview mirror. 

The latest Fox News survey among registered New York City voters found Mamdani leading with 45% support, Cuomo in second with 27%, Republican Party nominee Curtis Sliwa picking up 11% and Adams garnering 8%. 

Pressure had been mounting since Mamdani won the Democratic primary for Adams or Cuomo to drop out of the race to consolidate support against Mamdani. Even if all 8% of Adams’ supporters voted for Cuomo this November, the former governor would still be trailing by at least 10 points, according to the Fox News survey. 

“Too often we think of homelessness as if it is natural, as if it is innate,” Mamdani said. “It’s a political choice, and this is one example of the choices that has been made time and time again by someone like Andrew Cuomo, thinking that they would never have to make a decision in Albany and then explain it to the people of New York City.”

Mamdani said New Yorkers are “sick and tired” of Trump’s agenda, arguing that Cuomo would be the “greatest thing that could happen” for Trump in New York City. 

The Democratic nominee, who handily defeated Cuomo in the primary, also elicited Adams’ own words against the former governor. 

“Even hearing Eric Adams the way that he described Andrew Cuomo as a snake and a liar is something that I’ve heard from a number of New Yorkers in wanting to turn that page,” Mamdani said. 

In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said that Mamdani “will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party.”

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“He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed!” Trump said. 

Mamdani dismissed the Truth Social post, telling reporters that Trump is “going through the stages of grief” regarding Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. 

Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist running for mayor in New York City, plans to invest $165 million in legal defense services for immigrants if elected mayor this November. 

Mamdani called the policy proposal a “cornerstone” of his campaign on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” on Sept. 21, while affirming his commitment to increase funding by more than $100 million for New Yorkers he said are “in urgent risk of deportation.”

Mamdani’s ambitious platform includes commitments like free buses, rent freezes, city-owned grocery stores and a robust plan for “Trump-proofing” New York City. Chief among Mamdani’s plan to defend New York City from President Donald Trump’s executive authority is a commitment to creating the “strongest sanctuary city in the country,” which according to his campaign website, includes bolstering legal support for immigrants.

The 33-year-old mayoral hopeful fails to specify who qualifies to benefit from the $165 million fund. A distinction between legal and illegal immigration is missing from Mamdani’s proposal, and his campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s attempt to clarify. 

MAMDANI APPEALS TO NON-DEMOCRATS WITH GENERAL ELECTION PUSH, VOWS GOVERNMENT CAN MEET VOTERS’ ‘MATERIAL NEEDS’

During his MSNBC interview, Mamdani lamented that New York City residents are facing “urgent risk of deportation,” and claimed that those New Yorkers are more likely to stay in the United States if they are provided legal assistance. 

MAMDANI TAKES AIM AT TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICIES IN FIERY STATEN ISLAND SPEECH: ‘WE ARE FIGHTING TO KEEP NYC A SANCTUARY CITY’

Mamdani said his proposed investment is so that “we can ensure we’re taking every step we can to keep the Yorkers safe, to keep New Yorkers together and to show the world that they are welcome in this city.”

Mamdani’s plan to bolster New York City’s sanctuary city status also includes commitments to ending cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and protecting illegal immigrant’s personal information from the federal government. 

“The administration will increase funding for immigration legal services to provide representation for people and communities targeted by mass deportation,” Mamdani included in his “Trump-proofing” New York City proposal. 

Among the $165 million funding commitment, Mamdani is planning to increase funding for the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative from $500,000 to $25 million, “ensure families can stay together” by increasing funding from $16 million to $30 million for the New York Immigrant Family Unit Program and increasing funding from $20 million to $40 million for the Immigrant Opportunity Initiative. 

He also vowed to continue funding “essential programs” like interpretation services and “know your rights initiatives.”

Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s question about how he will pay for this additional funding. His platform does include raising taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers to pay for his proposals. 

During a press conference on Friday, Mamdani vowed to be a mayor “that ensures we increase legal representation of immigrant New Yorkers who are under attack.”

A Fox News survey of New York City registered voters found Mamdani leading the race by 18 percentage points with 45% support. 

Only 3% of those surveyed mentioned illegal immigration as the city’s No. 1 problem. Most (67%) favored only deporting those charged with crimes but allowing others to stay in the U.S. and apply for citizenship.

While Mamdani is a self-described Democratic socialist, Trump has labeled him a “communist.”

In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said that Mamdani “will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party.”

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“He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed!” Trump said. 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has signaled that Democrats are not budging on their key demands ahead of a high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump about government funding.

The federal government will enter a partial shutdown at midnight on Wednesday if Republicans and Democrats do not reach a deal on funding priorities for fiscal year (FY) 2026, which ends at the end of the day on Sept. 30.

All but one House Democrat rejected Republicans’ plan for a roughly straightforward extension of FY 2025 funding levels, through Nov. 21, aimed at giving appropriators more time for a longer-term deal.

Jeffries blasted the measure — called a continuing resolution (CR) — as partisan and has demanded that Republicans make concessions on healthcare in exchange for Democratic support.

SPEAKER JOHNSON FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEM LEADERS WITH STAUNCH WARNING AGAINST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

He signaled during a last-minute news conference on Monday that Democrats would reject anything less than a written plan to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No one can trust their word on healthcare. Are you kidding me? These people have been trying to repeal and displace people off the Affordable Care Act since 2010. That’s 15 years,” Jeffries said. “And on behalf of the American people, we’re supposed to simply take their word that they’re willing to negotiate? The American people know that would be an unreasonable thing for us to do.”

Jeffries also pointed out that an alternate CR offered by Democrats would expand those subsidies under the ACA, colloquially known as “Obamacare,” permanently.

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

It comes hours before he, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., are set to meet with Trump to discuss government funding at 3 p.m. on Monday.

Johnson and Thune, along with other Republicans in Congress, have been pushing Democrats to accept the deal on the table — pointing out that funding levels have remained roughly the same since former President Joe Biden’s time in office.

“We are ready, we are willing, we are able to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement that actually keeps the government open, but meets the needs of the American people in terms of their health, their safety, and their economic well-being related to lowering the high cost of living, as opposed to allowing tens of millions of Americans to experience dramatically increased health care costs,” Jeffries told reporters.

“What we will not do is support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people.”

The COVID-era Obamacare subsidies are due to expire at the end of this year without any action by Congress.

Thune told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he would be open to negotiating a deal but not paired with the current government funding talks.

“We can have that conversation, but before we do, release the hostage. Set the American people free, keep the government open, and then let’s have a conversation about those premium tax credits. I’m certainly open to that. I think we all are,” he said. 

“I will say … that particular program is desperately in need of reform. It’s fraught with waste, fraud and abuse. So we are going to have reforms if we take action there, but I think there’s potentially a path forward.”

The GOP-led CR passed the House earlier this month largely along party lines.

It’s now on the Senate, where at least several Democrats will be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold to proceed with the bill.

Schumer is under tremendous pressure by his left flank after playing a key role in advancing Republicans’ earlier CR in March, which extended through Sept. 30.

This time, however, Jeffries assured that he and Schumer are in “lock-step” on bucking the Republican plan unless a compromise is reached.

He said of their upcoming sit-down with Trump, “We’re heading into the meeting to have a good faith negotiation about landing the plane in a way that avoids a government shutdown but does not continue the Republican assault on the healthcare of the American people.”

“Republicans control the House and the Senate, and there’s a Republican president. If the government shuts down, it’s because Republicans want to shut the government down,” Jeffries said at another point.

Johnson, meanwhile, hammered Democrats’ position in an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures.”

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“We passed a continuing resolution, a simple, very clean, 24-page continuing resolution to keep the government open for seven more weeks, so the appropriators can finish that process,” Johnson said.

“And [Schumer] said, ‘No. Instead, I want to add $1.5 trillion in new spending to a seven-week stopgap bill…we want to reinstate free healthcare to illegal aliens paid for by U.S. taxpayer dollars. We want to claw back the $50 billion that we passed, Republicans passed, in our big, beautiful bill, the Working Families Tax Cuts, to provide for rural hospitals and healthcare, and a laundry list of other partisan priorities. He knows it’s a nonstarter.”

President Donald Trump is set to attend Tuesday’s unprecedented all-hands meeting of U.S. military commanders in Quantico, Va., he said Sunday.

As speculation swirls over why generals and flag officers from around the world were summoned, Trump insisted the purpose was celebratory.

“It’s really just a very nice meeting talking about how well we’re doing militarily, talking about being in great shape, talking about a lot of good, positive things. It’s just a good message,” Trump told NBC News.

“We have some great people coming in, and it’s just an ‘esprit de corps.’ You know the expression ‘esprit de corps’? That’s all it’s about. We’re talking about what we’re doing, what they’re doing, and how we’re doing.”

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The gathering represents a major logistical and security feat, concentrating nearly every top U.S. military leader in one location. Trump’s attendance raises the stakes further, putting the Secret Service in charge of security.

Hundreds of generals, admirals and their senior enlisted leaders — ranked one star and above — were ordered last week to attend the meeting with War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The invitation offered no stated reason, fueling speculation it could herald mass cuts consistent with Hegseth’s push to shrink the general officer corps.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., wrote to the Pentagon seeking details on the cost of flying in officers on such short notice and whether virtual alternatives were considered. About 800 general and flag officers are stationed worldwide, and together with their enlisted advisors and aides, the number descending on Quantico could exceed 1,000, according to Duckworth. She also asked what accounts would cover the costs, whether return travel might be disrupted by a potential government shutdown, and if a cost-benefit analysis preceded the decision to meet in person.

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Defense officials and analysts have suggested the meeting may preview cuts not only to the general officer ranks but also to civilian and contractor roles at bases worldwide. Others believe it could foreshadow reductions to the U.S. force posture in Europe and the Middle East, consistent with an expected national defense strategy that prioritizes homeland defense after years of emphasis on the Indo-Pacific and China.

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Hegseth has pledged to cut the general officer corps by 20 percent and has already dismissed roughly two dozen senior officers. Reports also suggest he intends to use the meeting to stress his “warrior ethos,” which defense sources suggest could be a way to remind commanders of their duty to remain apolitical, and reassert his personal authority over the force.

Last week, Trump signed an executive order directing law enforcement and the military to counter “domestic terrorism and organized political violence.” On Sunday, at Trump’s direction, Hegseth informed the adjutant general of the Oregon National Guard that 200 troops would be deployed for 60 days to protect immigration enforcement officials facing protests. The federalized Guard members will serve under U.S. Northern Command.

The clock is ticking to fund government, and so far, lawmakers do not have a path forward to avert a partial shutdown.

The Senate returned to Washington, D.C., on Monday, and congressional leaders are slated to meet with President Donald Trump to negotiate a deal on funding the government. But the last week has seen both sides point the finger at who would own closing the government.

Lawmakers have until midnight Wednesday to pass a short-term funding extension, or else the government will close. And if it does, it would be the third shutdown under Trump.

A government shutdown happens when Congress can neither pass all 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the government, nor pass a continuing resolution (CR), which typically keeps funding levels static while lawmakers hustle to finish their work on spending bills.

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Since 1980, there have been 10 government shutdowns. Only three have happened since the turn of the century.

All shutdowns are different, and the impending shutdown is no exception. However, it could have more devastating effects on the federal workforce than previous shutdowns given the administration’s orders to undertake mass firings.

Programs like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid will continue, along with the Postal Service, Veterans’ Affairs hospitals and clinics, and Immigration and Border Patrol security activities, among others. Federal employees will likely go without pay, however, and a string of agencies will see their services hampered by furloughs, like the IRS and Small Business Administration. Housing programs may also see a delay in rental assistance and loans.  

Typically, shutdowns see thousands of federal workers deemed “nonessential” furloughed, but the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memo last week that directed agencies to “use this opportunity to consider reduction in force (RIF) notices for all employees” in programs that have no other available funding source and that don’t comport with Trump’s priorities if lawmakers couldn’t fund the government.

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“RIF notices will be in addition to any furlough notices provided due to the lapse in appropriation,” the memo read, and they will be issued “regardless of whether the employee is excepted or furloughed during the lapse in appropriations.”

Then there is the cost of a shutdown. While the cost of a partial closure this year is unknown, the Congressional Budget Office did an analysis of the cost of the last time the government shuttered in 2019.

The report, published in January 2019, found that the shutdown saw roughly $18 billion in federal spending delayed, which led to a dip in that year’s first quarter gross domestic product of $8 billion. The report noted roughly $3 billion of that would not be recovered.

It also found that federal workers who received delayed payments and private businesses were the hardest hit.

“Some of those private-sector entities will never recoup that lost income,” the report stated.

Congressional Republicans and Democrats are at a stalemate on the current CR, not so much because of what’s in the bill — it would keep the government open until Nov. 21 and includes tens of millions in new spending for lawmakers’ security — but because of what it lacks.

Democratic lawmakers demanded that the short-term extension at least include an extension to expiring Obamacare premium subsidies and have warned that if Congress doesn’t act, millions of Americans will see their health care costs increase.

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While the subsidies don’t expire until the end of the year, congressional Democrats have noted that insurers are gearing up to send out new rates on Oct. 1.

But Senate Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have said that conversations about the subsidies can happen after the government is funded, but that has so far not been enough for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate 
Democrats.

“Fundamentally, nothing has changed, though, and the choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else,” Thune told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

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Both Thune and Schumer, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., will meet with Trump Monday afternoon. The confab comes after Trump canceled a meeting with the Democratic leaders earlier this week.

Schumer and Jeffries said in a joint statement after a new meeting was set that “Democrats will meet anywhere, at any time and with anyone to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people.”

“We are resolute in our determination to avoid a government shutdown and address the Republican health care crisis,” they said. “Time is running out.” 

President Donald Trump meets Monday at 2 p.m. ET with top bipartisan, bicameral congressional leaders as the clock ticks down toward a potential government shutdown at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. 

But there is little optimism for the meeting. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have not met with Trump since he returned to office. Democrats are insisting on subsidies to make Obamacare coverage cheaper and a reinstatement of money cut for public radio and television.

Previous meetings between Trump and top Democrats have ended badly. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stormed out of one such session.

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The prospects of a shutdown are extremely high. There have been no talks or trading of offers for weeks. The House approved a stopgap bill to simply renew all existing funding at present levels, and then they left town.

Only the Senate is in session today. The Senate likely re-votes a procedural vote which failed just to start debate on the House-approved bill tomorrow, hours before the deadline. That needs 60 yeas to break a filibuster. Otherwise, the government is on cruise control for a shutdown.

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House Republicans may not be in Washington, but House Democrats will descend on the Capitol late this afternoon for a caucus meeting.

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The government last shut down in late 2018 — early 2019. It closed for a record 35 days over a dispute about money for Trump’s border wall.