Democrats’ latest wager seems to be paying off as they continue to hold firm in a government shutdown as a deliberate act of resistance.
So far, the sticking point for those leading the charge has been our ailing health care system, as Democrats push back against the Trump administration in an effort to maintain pre-existing condition protections, expand Medicare, lower drug costs and stop premiums from shooting up. But at its core, this is and always has been a bigger fight — a refusal to bankroll President Donald Trump’s abuse of power.
At its core, this is and always has been a bigger fight — a refusal to bankroll President Donald Trump’s abuse of power.
And now that Democrats have gained some traction, they can’t afford to miss the opportunity to bring into sharp focus the true challenge of this moment. This government shutdown cannot be just about numbers on a spreadsheet. It must be framed about refusing to fund authoritarianism.
If Trump demands taxpayer dollars to bankroll ICE raids that rip families apart as we saw in Chicago, Democrats should continue the shutdown. If he tries to funnel money into detention camps like “Alligator Alcatraz,” keep it shut down. If he uses federal budgets to green-light surveillance tools aimed at journalists and activists, keep it shut down. If he seeks to weaponize the Justice Department against critics by pulling funds from its independent functions, keep it shut down. If he attempts to further roll back reproductive health services, LGBTQ+ protections or climate safeguards, keep it shut down.
None of these scenarios are abstractions. They’re happening now. Trump’s administration has moved to bar federal funds from supporting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, restrictions that civil rights groups argue violate free speech and equal protection under the law. Federal grants have been canceled or frozen if they involve what the administration calls “gender ideology.” Abroad, the administration has suspended much of USAID’s democracy and press-freedom work, cutting lifelines to independent journalists and activists around the world.
Until now, Democrats have for the most part simply gone along. They’ve extended budgets, passed continuing resolutions, seeming to tell themselves they’re preventing short-term pain as responsible state actors.
But those extensions have been exploited to implement executive orders gutting protections, censoring speech and stripping rights. As Trump is wreaking havoc on American democracy, appropriations become blank checks for Trump’s authoritarian overreach.
Some Democrats argue they should keep the focus on health care because Americans can relate to pocketbook issues they feel in their wallets. I understand this tactic. I’m not arguing Democrats stop talking about health care, but I am saying they should widen the conversation.
Health care is popular — but so are our fundamental rights. In fact, they are inseparable. The challenge, and the necessary ask, is to seize this opportunity to platform what is truly at stake: our basic rights and democracy as we know it.
Because what good is lowering prescription drug prices if women lose the right to control their bodies? What good is capping insulin costs if climate deregulation poisons the air your kids breathe? What good is expanding Medicaid if elections are rigged and voters are purged?
These are the questions Democrats need to be asking now, loudly, while they hold the attention of the American public. That is also why Democrats must stop Republicans from framing this debate around “health care for illegal immigrants.” They must push to define this shutdown on their own terms, terms that go beyond budget disagreements and financial priorities. They must tell the public: We are not shutting down the government; we are shutting down Trump’s corruption of the government. We are shutting down his abuse of power. History will not remember who tweaked Medicare copays in the age of Trump. It will remember who had the courage to shut it down to save our democracy. Republicans never hesitate to weaponize shutdowns to advance their agenda. They did it under Barack Obama, threatened it under Joe Biden. Republicans have shown they are willing to grind norms and procedures to a halt to advance their ideological agenda. They are willing to lie to the American people for power. Democrats need to hold strong and show that they are not going to be the ones who blink. That they are willing to stand firm for their ideological norms of a democracy that protects people’s basic rights. Responsibility now means resistance, not surrender, or even cooperation. But responsible governance means nothing if the government itself is hijacked for authoritarian ends. In fact, Trump was already given money to spend and his administration is effectively attacking Congress’ power of the purse and its constitutional obligations to appropriate funds. And the majority-conservative Supreme Court goes along with it. History will not remember who tweaked Medicare copays in the age of Trump. It will remember who had the courage to shut it down to save our democracy from a lawless authoritarian. Democrats face a choice. They can be the party that manages health care debates while democracy collapses. Or they can be the party that stood up and used this historic shutdown as an opportunity to save the republic.
Ayman Mohyeldin is a host of "‘The Weekend: Primetime" and an MS NOW political analyst. 
