If you thought Washington had moved past its shutdown drama, think again. President Donald Trump is already warning that another government funding crisis is "probably" on the horizon, and he's pointing fingers squarely at Democrats.
During a Thursday interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria," Trump didn't mince words about what he sees coming before the January 30 funding deadline.
"I think we have a problem, because I think we're going to probably end up in another Democrat shutdown," Trump said, adding that the previous shutdown "cost them a lot."
His comments come fresh off the heels of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which dragged on for 43 days into 2025. That funding lapse halted essential government operations and furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers, triggering intense partisan battles over who was to blame.
House Gets Its Work Done, Senate's Turn Next
The House, at least, has been busy checking boxes. By Thursday, lawmakers had passed all 12 fiscal 2026 appropriations bills, clearing a significant legislative hurdle.
The most contentious vote came on Department of Homeland Security funding, which passed despite fierce Democratic opposition over Trump's deployment of masked federal agents in cities as part of his immigration enforcement push. But in a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, a broad package covering defense, health, transportation, education, and housing sailed through with a 341–88 vote.
The week prior, the House also approved a two-bill "minibus" package funding the State Department and Treasury Department. So the House has done its part. Now the pressure shifts to the Senate, which returns from recess next week with just days to spare before the January 30 deadline.
Economic Optimism Meets Shutdown Uncertainty
Here's where things get interesting. Despite Trump's shutdown warnings, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been painting an optimistic economic picture. Lutnick is forecasting 6% GDP growth for the U.S. economy by 2026, crediting Trump's policies including incentives for new factories and auto plants.
But even Lutnick acknowledged the recent shutdown could create complications, warning it might lead to "a messy Q4" that could potentially undermine those rosy growth projections. It's hard to hit ambitious economic targets when the government keeps turning the lights off.
Meanwhile, Trump has been reaching across the aisle in recent weeks, at least on the surface. He had what was described as a "productive" phone call with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and hosted a White House meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to discuss various contentious issues.
Whether those conversations will be enough to avert the shutdown Trump is predicting remains to be seen. The Senate has its work cut out for it when lawmakers return next week, and the clock is definitely ticking.
