The heist of America begins ... in earnest

The U.S. Capitol dome is reflected in the Library of Congress glass door, with the sign reading "Entrance closed" in the foreground, on the first day of a partial government shutdown in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 1, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

Well, the TA got what it wanted via the shutdown. 1. Control of the nation's monies. 2. Mass firings of federal workers and 3. Curtailing civil rights, a de facto coup accomplished with astonishing ease thanks to the feckless dems giving a gift of biblical proportions to the administration from hell.

President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday froze $26 billion for Democratic-leaning states, following through on a threat to use the government shutdown to target Democratic priorities.

The targeted programs included $18 billion for transit projects in New York, home to Congress's top two Democrats, and $8 billion for green-energy projects in 16 Democratic-run states, including California and Illinois. Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, warned that the administration might extend its purge of federal workers if the shutdown lasts more than a few days.

The moves made clear that Trump would carry out his threat to take advantage of the shutdown to punish his political opponents and extend his control over the $7 trillion federal budget, established by the U.S. Constitution as the domain of Congress.

The pressure tactics came as the 15th government shutdown since 1981 suspended scientific research, financial oversight, environmental cleanup efforts and a wide range of other activities.

Some 750,000 federal workers were ordered not to work, while others, such as troops and Border Patrol agents, began to work without pay. The Department of Veterans Affairs said it would provide burials at national cemeteries, but would not erect headstones or mow the grass.

Signs stand outside the Library of Congress on the first day of a partial government shutdown in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 1, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard