Posted on 10/27/2025 6:13:31 PM PDT by Red Badger
Gaslighting has become a science for Democrats during the current government shutdown. After years of flirting with falsehoods, they have turned into full-blown, bald-faced liars as they attempt to pin the carnage that is coming on Republicans because they “control” the House, Senate, and White House.
Tarlov is not alone. Senator Mazie Hirono took to X on Monday to peddle the tired Democratic narrative that Republicans are to blame for the ongoing government shutdown.
“Friendly reminder that Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House. This shutdown is entirely their fault,” Hirono posted, racking up thousands of likes from her partisan echo chamber. It’s the third iteration of this exact talking point from Democrats today alone—a lie designed to exploit the ignorance of their base and distract from their own obstructionism.
They want their base to be ignorant. They NEED their base to be ignorant. And judging by anecdotal reactions from leftists on the streets, their gaslighting is working.
As the shutdown drags into its fifth week, federal workers are staring down missed paychecks, air traffic controllers are bracing for their first full payday gap on Tuesday, and even military personnel face disruptions despite temporary funding patches from President Trump.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing over 800,000 federal workers, has been unequivocal in their demand for an immediate end to the chaos through a clean continuing resolution.
AFGE President Everett Kelley said, “Because when the folks who serve this country are standing in line for food banks after missing a second paycheck because of this shutdown, they aren’t looking for partisan spin… The fact that they’re being cheated out of it is a national disgrace.”
But here’s the truth Hirono and her colleagues won’t admit: This isn’t a Republican shutdown. It’s the Schumer Shutdown, plain and simple. The House has passed a clean CR multiple times to keep the government funded and ensure paychecks flow uninterrupted. Yet in the Senate, where a 60-vote threshold is required to overcome a filibuster, nearly every Democrat has voted against it—12 times and counting. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has led the charge in blocking these efforts, holding the government—and American families—hostage to Democratic demands for an “ironclad deal” on extending Obamacare premium subsidies.
Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), have made it crystal clear: They’re open to negotiating healthcare reforms, but not at the expense of shuttering essential services and punishing innocent workers.
“It’s politics… Republicans have been perfectly clear that we’re willing to have a discussion about healthcare, just not while government funding is being held hostage,” Thune stated.
Even Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen let slip the bipartisan frustration, noting that “not one of our federal employees, service members, or contractors deserves to be punished for this government shutdown.”
The finger-pointing from Hirono and others reeks of desperation. Democrats control nothing in this equation except their own willingness to grandstand and obstruct. Federal workers aren’t buying the spin either. They’re lining up at food banks, missing family obligations, and voicing their outrage—not at Republicans who keep offering olive branches, but at the partisan gamesmanship that’s left them high and dry.
Every American feeling the pinch—from delayed benefits to furloughed services—should direct their ire squarely at Democrats. This shutdown is 100% the result of their unwillingness to pass the CR and prioritize the people over power plays. As another Senate vote looms (destined to fail under Democratic blockade), it’s time for voters to remember: When the lights flicker out on federal operations, it’s Schumer’s switch they’re flipping.
What’s their play? What are they hoping to achieve? As I noted on X, their endgame is to get Republicans to suspend the filibuster so they have precedence to do so themselves in the future when they want something slipped through.
Let’s hope Republicans do not cave on their vow to never end the filibuster. Let’s hope the American people will see through the lies of Democrats and their legacy media lapdogs. And let’s definitely hope they will be forced into submission by We the People as we demand they stop paying politics with people’s paychecks.
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
The first lie is that it’s a shutdown.
It’s worked for them before. Why not give it another try?
Most of the media will happily carry the Dem/ Progressive water buckets. They usually don’t even need to be asked.
Ignorance is just the starting point of the bottomless pit of democrat gullibility.
"Talk to the hand...the one holding things up attached to Chuck Schumer. Can't grill, can't negotiate, can't escape AOC coming for his spot."
The strategy that these marxist are employing is from thier comrade Lenin, “ the worse the better.”
Bkmk
EVERY Republican should be SHOUTING, Every time someone has a camera in one of their faces, that this is the Democrats, who are keeping this shut down alive, and them alone!
But no! Classic republicans not taking the fight to the Dems.
I don’t get it, but I am not seeing a unified msg on this by republicans 🤷♂️😡
The last time a democrat doesn’t lie is when they are in the coffin.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.