The Republicans have extremely slim majorities in both houses.
The two parties are at loggerheads in philosophy, so there is a deadlock. It is nothing new, but the situation where one of the major parties wants to destroy the existing country, while in cahoots with the old, dominant, Progressive Media, is fairly new, though it developed over a long time.
I'm not sure I agree with that part of your comment. I'm coming up on being 76 years old and to me it seems like it's always been that way, although it has gotten worse recently.