Blame game escalates on shutdown verge

Plus: ESPN analyst considering Senate run

MORNING REPORT  MORNING REPORT Tuesday, September 30 | By Jared Gans View Online  |  Sign up Listen and Subscribe: In today's issue: ▪ Dems, GOP plan for shutdown ▪ Trump, Netanyahu tout peace proposal ▪ The Hill interview with Spanberger ▪ ESPN analyst considering Senate run © The Associated Press | Evan Vucci Blame game escalates on shutdown verge Republicans and Democrats are pointing the finger at the other as a government shutdown seems almost certain to begin at midnight barring a last-minute shift. A meeting President Trump held at the White House with congressional leaders on Monday failed to net any major breakthrough, with both sides remaining far apart on the path forward. "I think we're headed to into a shutdown because Democrats won't do the right thing," Vice President Vance told reporters after exiting the meeting. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called the meeting "frank and honest," while stressing a shutdown would be the GOP's fault. "If the government shuts down, it's because Republicans have decided to shut the government down and hurt the American people. It's a point that we made loudly and clearly in that meeting," Jeffries told reporters. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) called Democrats' demands to avert a funding lapse "hostage taking." "It is totally up to the Democrats, because right now, they are the only thing standing between the American people and the government shutting down," he said. Monday's meeting was not expected to produce any significant change in the odds of a government shutdown, but the tone afterward underscored how both parties hope to win the blame game if funding lapses starting Wednesday. Republicans have advocated for a "clean" stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded at current levels through mid-November. But Democrats indicated Monday they would not drop their demand that a funding bill include an extension of health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that are set to expire at the end of the year. "Their bill has not one iota of Democratic input. That is never how we've done this before," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. "It's up to the Republicans whether they want a shutdown or not." Schumer said following the meeting that Trump seemed "completely oblivious" to the potential increase in health care premiums that will result from the subsidies' expiration. He said he warned Trump families could see an increase of as much as $400 per month if they aren't extended. "By his face and by the way he looked, I think he heard about them for the first time," Schumer said. The Senate Democratic leader also suggested that a rift is emerging between Trump and congressional GOP leaders about whether to add an extension of the subsidies to the continuing resolution. He said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Thune wanted to "kick the health care problem down the road," while Trump was more sympathetic. But Republicans presented a united front coming out of the meeting, rejecting Democrats' attempt to add unrelated issues to the stopgap bill.  Both sides have been laying the groundwork for blaming each other for weeks. Republicans have presented the continuing resolution (CR) as keeping the government's lights on to allow Congress to move through the appropriations process without getting into partisan issues. One popular talking point has been accusing Democrats of wanting to fund health care for undocumented immigrants. Democrats, in part under pressure from members of their party to stand up to Trump, have said their calls for extending subsidies and rolling back cuts to Medicaid are about preventing the administration from continuing what they view as harmful policies that are actively hurting the American people. Some moderate members of the Senate Democratic Caucus have expressed interest in an off-ramp in the fight, particularly as they express concerns about a memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget calling for widespread layoffs of government workers if a shutdown happens. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned again that layoffs will come if Democrats don't prevent a shutdown at the end of Tuesday. The Hill's Alex Bolton reports on centrists' dwindling hopes for staving off a shutdown. Senate Democratic sources told him that Schumer doesn't want to give progressive critics any additional ammo to attack him. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) had shot down talk among some Democrats of proposing a 7-to-10-day CR to give lawmakers more time to negotiate, saying the GOP's focus is on the current CR. Schumer also rejected the idea of a weeklong or 10-day CR, saying Congress can't wait any longer to extend the health care subsidies. A shutdown would be the first in more than six years. The last shutdown, during Trump's first term, lasted 35 days and was the longest in history. Follow The Hill's live blog for coverage throughout the day. ▪ The Hill: "Conservatives warn against ObamaCare compromise in shutdown fight" Smart Take  with Blake Burman It didn't sound promising after Monday's White House meeting. Vance told reporters he thinks "we're heading to a shutdown," while Schumer said "we have very large differences." Both sides claim they don't want it to happen and it would be the other side's fault if it does. Can these differences be reconciled before this evening, perhaps with a short-term deal to keep negotiating? Mick Mulvaney, Trump's former White House chief of staff, told me the White House might not feel the need to make a deal with Schumer and could see some upsides in the government shutting down. "I think they figure they can run the government more efficiently than Congress can, which is what happens during an appropriation process," Mulvaney said. Here's what I found interesting: Monday's meeting at the White House did not play out before the cameras in the Oval Office. That's a change from the first term, when it became a spectacle. Perhaps we're seeing a new strategy in this second term. Burman hosts "The Hill" weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. 3 Things to Know Today Trump this morning heads to Quantico, Va., to attend the meeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called for hundreds of generals and admirals. The president has said the meeting is to discuss "how well" the country is performing militarily. The Democratic National Committee is making an investment to boost a referendum Missouri Democrats are trying to get on the ballot to block a new map pushed by the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterms. Join Whole Hog Politics author Chris Stirewalt and The Hill's SVP of editorial content Bill Sammon for a live virtual meeting Oct. 3 at 8 a.m. ET. Go behind the scenes, hear how stories take shape & join the conversation by asking questions on Zoom. Register here LEADING THE DAY © The Associated Press | Alex Brandon TRUMP PEACE PROPOSAL: Trump formally unveiled a 20-point plan Monday to conclude to the Israel-Hamas war, possibly the best chance yet to bring an end to the nearly two-year-long conflict. He made the announcement at a news conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who declared his support for the plan. It came after Trump strongly hinted for days that a deal was imminent. The U.S., Israel and the rest of the world now await a response from Hamas as to whether the militant group will accept the offer. The Hill's Niall Stanage has the five takeaways from Trump and Netanyahu's proposal. The plan calls for a wide range of proposals, starting with Israeli forces making a modest initial withdrawal from Gaza and ceasing additional attacks. Hamas would then need to release all hostages it still holds, both living and dead, within 72 hours. Israel would then release 250 Palestinian prisoners as well as 1,700 residents of Gaza detained after Oct. 7, 2023. Aid would start entering Gaza once the deal is accepted. The plan states that no one would be required to leave Gaza and Israel will not be allowed to occupy or annex it, though Hamas and "other factions" must agree to have no role in governing and to unilaterally disarm. Hamas indicated it received the details of the proposal and is reviewing it. The plan has received the support of various Arab leaders, as the foreign ministries of countries including Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar said in a joint statement they have confidence in Trump's ability to achieve peace and welcome the proposal. The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank also issued a statement declaring support for the plan and pledging to enact reforms, including new elections and an end to a program that pays the families of militants who attack Israelis. Still, significant questions linger over the deal. While Netanyahu himself has indicated support for the plan, he will have to sell it to his government, which includes hardliners Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister. Both are key members of Netanyahu's government and have been critical of previous ceasefires, wanting Israel to continue until Hamas is defeated. And Hamas must agree to the plan and follow through, including by disarming and ceding power in Gaza. The group, which the U.S., Israel and various Western countries consider a terrorist organization, has been in control of Gaza for 20 years since winning a parliamentary election and refusing to give up power since. Hamas agreeing to give up power would be one of the most significant developments in the Middle East in decades. If Hamas rejects the deal, Trump said Israel would have the U.S.'s "full backing" to "finish the job" and force Hamas out. Netanyahu pledged a similar response if Hamas accepts the deal in name only. "If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or if they supposedly accepted it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself. This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way. But it will be done," he said. ▪ The Hill: Read Trump's 20-point proposal for ending the war. ▪ The Hill: Trump would head Gaza "board of peace" to oversee postwar plan. BATTLE OVER PORTLAND: Tensions between leaders in Portland, Ore., and Trump administration officials are escalating as the president sets his sights on the city he has slammed as the epitome of the far left run amok. After Trump announced Saturday he planned to deploy the National Guard to the city, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield (D) revealed 200 members of the state's guard have been sent into Portland to perform "federal functions" for 60 days. Trump said he decided to send troops in to "protect" the city's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities from antifa and other "domestic terrorists." It's seemingly one of Trump's first steps to try to crack down on the anti-fascist movement after signing an executive order declaring it a domestic terrorist group. But it's also a continuation of the policy Trump has employed of sending troops into major U.S. cities to address illegal immigration, protests against ICE and what he has claimed is out-of-control crime. Over the summer, Trump sent troops into Los Angeles in response to ICE protests, though they have mostly been pulled out of the city. Guards members remain in Washington, D.C., as Trump credits them with reducing crime levels since their deployment. Similar to other major cities, Democrats aren't accepting Trump's move with Portland without a fight and are turning to the courts to challenge its legality. The city and state of Oregon have filed a lawsuit in federal court against Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to try to block their deployment of troops. Democratic officials like Rayfield and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek have argued the deployment is unnecessary as local and state law enforcement is able to handle public safety in Portland. The lawsuit states that the protests against an ICE facility in the city have included fewer than 30 people in recent weeks, and no one has been arrested in months. But that type of argument hasn't deterred Trump from moving forward in other cities and isn't likely to do so in Portland, which has often been the center of his argument against the far left. ▪ The Hill: Oregon officials warn against taking "bait" with Trump's Portland deployment. ▪ Politico: "Why Donald Trump is obsessed with Portland." YOUTUBE SETTLEMENT: YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million as part of a settlement for a lawsuit that Trump filed over the platform's suspension of his account in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Court documents show that $22 million of it will go to the Trust for the National Mall to help cover construction costs of expanding the White House State Ballroom, while the rest will go to other plaintiffs like the American Conservative Union. The Google-owned platform is just the latest to settle with Trump over his suspension from the top social media platforms after the Capitol riot. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, agreed to pay $25 million in January to settle a lawsuit from Trump over his suspension, while Elon Musk's social platform X agreed to pay $10 million to settle a similar lawsuit. The court filing states that the YouTube settlement isn't considered an admission of liability. Various other major companies have also chosen to settle lawsuits with Trump rather than continue to battle them in court, including ABC News and Paramount. The settlement also comes as Trump has grown increasingly close to the top Big Tech leaders during his second term. MAMDANI VS TRUMP: Trump appears increasingly resigned to the likelihood of Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayoral race, shifting his strategy as Election Day approaches. Reports had indicated for months that Trump was trying to work behind the scenes to coalesce opposition to Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, behind former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent. But Trump has in recent weeks seemed to prepare for Mamdani's potential electoral victory in November, lobbing attacks at him. Rather than taking the position that Mamdani must be defeated to protect New York City, as he has throughout the summer, the president has argued Republicans will benefit from having the self-described democratic socialist in such a high-profile position leading the country's largest city. "Self proclaimed New York City Communist, Zohran Mamdani, who is running for Mayor, will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday. "He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great city." The president vowed that Mamdani wouldn't have the support of federal dollars for the initiatives he's planning. Mamdani responded during a press conference, saying Trump is going through "the stages of grief." "He began with denial, where he said that there was no way we could win this race and that he would use every tool at his disposal to ensure that that was the case," Mamdani said, adding Trump is now "coming to terms" with the idea of him winning. The race likely became more competitive after incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a registered Democrat who was running for reelection as an independent, dropped out as he struggled to gain traction in the polls. But Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa has vowed he won't drop out despite some pressure from Republicans and other Mamdani opponents to do so to clear the field for Cuomo to challenge Mamdani one-on-one. With Sliwa and Cuomo both still in the race, the anti-Mamdani vote is likely to be split. Even if either candidate got the head-to-head matchup they're hoping for, polls show Mamdani may still win, but it's an even higher hurdle if there's more than two candidates. ▪ Bloomberg: New York mayor's race shook by Adams exit. WHEN & WHERE The president will deliver remarks to a gathering of top military leaders at 9 a.m. in Quantico, Va. He's scheduled to make an announcement at 11 a.m. and sign executive orders later in the day. The Senate will meet at 10 a.m. The House will convene at noon for a pro forma session. ZOOM IN © The Hill | Greg Nash SPANBERGER STRATEGY: Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger is leaning into issues of affordability as she seeks to win the governor's mansion in November. The former congresswoman told The Hill's Julia Manchester in an interview that she's focused on responding to concerns that voters ask her about on a daily basis, like housing and rental markets, energy costs and health care costs. Manchester reports how the race has become a split-screen with Spanberger focusing mostly on issues of the economy and her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earl-Sears, leaning into cultural issues. Earl-Sears has also discussed economic issues, but more recently attacked Spanberger related to schools and transgender policies. Spanberger has generally had a steady lead in polling over Earl-Sears throughout the race, leading by about 7 points in the Decision Desk HQ polling average. Eyes will be on the November result for an indication of the parties' strength heading into the midterm elections next year. DEPORTATION DEAL: The U.S. is sending a plane of 100 Iranians back to the Middle Eastern country after a deal between the two countries' governments, The New York Times reports. The outlet reported that the U.S.-chartered flight took off from Louisiana on Monday and was scheduled to travel through Qatar to reach Iran on Tuesday. The report is based on two Iranian officials involved in the deal and a U.S. official with knowledge of it. The U.S. has given asylum to Iranians fleeing from the country for decades as many minorities face repression from the regime, but the deal underscores the administration's willingness and aggressiveness in sending migrants back regardless of the country's human rights record, the Times reported. The Iranian officials said the deal was a result of months of negotiations. One said the Iranian foreign ministry gave assurances that the deportees would be safe and not face any issues, but many were disappointed and some were frightened. PATEL GIFTS: FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly gave New Zealand's police and spy leaders gifts of inoperable pistols during a trip to the Pacific nation in July, but they were illegal to possess under local laws and needed to be destroyed. The Associated Press reported that the guns were 3D-printed pistol replicas that Patel presented to at least three senior New Zealand security officials. New Zealand law regulates pistols significantly, requiring an individual to possess an additional permit beyond a regular gun license. The country's police commissioner told the AP that the guns were determined to be potentially operable, as modifications could have made them usable, and thus they were destroyed. Gun control is particularly strong in New Zealand in the aftermath of the 2019 shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, in which an Australian man used legally owned semiautomatic weapons to kill 51 people. Gun violence in New Zealand is generally rare. HURRICANES MOVING: Two hurricanes are circling around the Atlantic Ocean after a relatively slow start to the season. The two storms, Humberto and Imelda, are both expected to remain offshore but cause coastal flooding, strong winds and dangerous rip currents. The Weather Channel doesn't expect any major impacts along the southeast U.S. coast. But Humberto is particularly notable as it briefly reached a rare Category 5 status while gaining steam in the Atlantic. The strength of Humberto helped pull Imelda, which is currently a tropical storm but is expected to become a hurricane, away from the coast. Humberto is expected to affect Bermuda on Tuesday, while Imelda has finished going through the Bahamas. The Weather Channel called this Atlantic hurricane season the "best-case scenario" in terms of minimal impacts in at least 10 years. Still, it warns that a quarter of hurricane activity happens after Sept. 29, and October can be an active month, so those in the Caribbean, Gulf or U.S. coast shouldn't let their guard down. ▪ Fox Weather: "Atlantic hurricane season pulls off feat not seen in 90 years" ELSEWHERE © The Associated Press | Michael Clubb SPORTS-POLITICS CROSSOVER: Yet another sports figure may be looking at shifting to politics as ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum said he might leave the network to run for Senate in Alabama. Finebaum told the conservative sports outlet OutKick that he might run for Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-Ala.) seat as a Republican after "one or two" people in Washington reached out to gauge his interest. Tuberville is running for governor rather than a second term in office. Finebaum is well known in Alabama, having spent about three decades covering college sports. His radio show was a major part of Alabama sports coverage particularly during peak of the University of Alabama's college football dynasty, The Hill's Sylvan Lane notes. If Finebaum runs, he would be just the latest sports figure to run for political office in 2026. Former NFL kicker Jay Feely and former MLB first baseman Mark Teixeira are both currently running for House seats as Republicans. Former college football coach Derek Dooley is running for Senate in Georgia, seeking to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff (D). ▪ The Hill: Five media, sports, entertainment figures running for office in 2026 OPINION With Mamdani, Republicans should be careful what they wish for, writes The Hill's Chris Stirewalt Two versions of Christianity battle for America's soul, writes Washington Post opinion columnist Shadi Hamid THE CLOSER © The Associated Press | Alejandro Granadillo And finally … Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny is having a big week as he was announced Sunday as the halftime performer at the Super Bowl and is set to host the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" this weekend. Among the most popular Latin artists in the world, Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) said what he's feeling about being the halftime performer "goes beyond himself" and his performance will be for "my people, my culture and our history." He said earlier this month that he wouldn't perform in the mainland U.S. because he worries that it could be the site of ICE raids. His selection has stoked some conservative pushback over comments he has made critical of Trump's immigration policies. But California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said the state is "excited" to welcome him to the Super Bowl, which will be held in Santa Clara, home of the San Francisco 49ers. Bad Bunny will also make history on Saturday as the SNL host, having been the musical guest for the season finale in May. He's the first person to have billing on two consecutive episodes. Stay Engaged We want to hear from you! Email me here and suggest this newsletter to friends! Privacy Policy   |   View in Browser   |   Manage Subscriptions Sign Up for Other Newsletters   |   Unsubscribe   400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc.   |   All Rights Reserved