House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasted President Donald Trump for being “missing in action” and not acting like a leader as the federal government shutdown entered its twenty-eighth day.

Senate Democrats are demanding negotiations with Republican Majority Leader John Thune to find a way to restore the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, without which millions of Americans will lose health care coverage, and even more could see premiums skyrocket. Republicans are refusing to negotiate unless Democrats first vote to reopen the government.

“Convene the appropriators,” Jeffries insisted, referring to the budget committee.

“Do what leaders do in moments like this, as opposed to being missing in action now for 28 days, while finding $40 billion to bail out a right-wing, wannabe dictator in Argentina, and destroying the historic parts of the White House in real time, so that he can construct a ballroom, where he will be celebrated like a wannabe king,” the Democratic Leader said.

READ MORE: ‘We Can Do as We Want’: Trump Boasts He Can Deploy Troops Into U.S. Cities However He Likes

“This is all outrageous stuff.”

“And the American people see it unfolding before their very eyes, and they know that Donald Trump and Republicans have not been serious about doing what is necessary to enact a spending agreement that actually improves the quality of life of hardworking American taxpayers.”

Also on Tuesday, Politico reported that Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy had suggested “that a Trump administration effort to scrounge together money to pay air traffic controllers during the federal shutdown is dead.”

“Duffy said he had examined the FAA’s budget to see if he could find any available funds, but ‘there’s not a lot of leeway that we have to get people paid.'”

READ MORE: Trump Admin Blames Dems’ Immigration and Trans Policies for Food Stamp Shut Off

Jeffries’ remarks came around the same time as Vice President JD Vance told reporters, after attending the weekly GOP luncheon, that the White House has found a way to pay the troops again, as Punchbowl News’ Max Cohen reported.

Bobby Kogan, the senior director of federal budget policy at the Center for American Progress, responded to President Trump paying the troops:

“Huge contrast with illegally refusing to make SNAP payments. What we’re seeing from the White House is them moving heaven and earth to pay what they want to pay, even if it’s illegal — and moving heaven and earth to NOT pay what they don’t want to pay, even if it’s illegal.”

Jeffries: “Convene the appropriators. Do what leaders do in moments like this, as opposed to being missing in action now for 28 days while finding $40b to bail out a right-wing wannabe dictator in Argentina & destroying the historic parts of the WH in real time so that he can… pic.twitter.com/7teVsZL5y1

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 28, 2025

READ MORE: ‘Refrain From Any Action’: Congressional Vets Warn Trump on Using Troops Against Americans

Republican former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger sharply condemned President Donald Trump and his onetime GOP colleagues, accusing the president of “sadism” for refusing to release what experts say are legally mandated funds to sustain food stamp payments once they’re cut off on November 1.

Warning that “millions of Americans will stop receiving food stamps” if Congress does not act, Kinzinger explained that “mothers won’t be able to buy groceries. Veterans won’t be able to feed their families. Children will go hungry — not because of some natural disaster or accident of bureaucracy, but because our leaders made a deliberate choice.”

“I’ve been in Congress,” he wrote. “I’ve sat in those rooms where politicians calculate pain — where they decide that hurting ordinary Americans might be good for their ‘message.'”

READ MORE: Johnson Says Trump ‘Trolling’ on Major Constitutional Question

Indeed, on Tuesday afternoon, Politico reported that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told his GOP conference to sit tight as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food stamps shutoff hits.

“‘Things are getting real’ this week,” Johnson said, as Politico noted, adding that “he braced his members for some of the worst real-world fallout of the shutdown so far.”

Johnson “urged Republicans to stay in lockstep as ‘pressure mounts on Democrats’ — including key deadlines that will impact millions of low-income Americans.”

“’The pain register is about to hit level 10,’ Johnson said, adding that ‘sadly’ 42 million Americans will be hit this weekend when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits run out of money.”

Kinzinger pointed out that President Trump “has a choice” in this.

READ MORE: Trump Admin Blames Dems’ Immigration and Trans Policies for Food Stamp Shut Off

“He can use emergency funds to keep food assistance flowing while negotiations continue. He could say, ‘Not on my watch will people go hungry.’ But he isn’t. He is choosing not to — because he wants the pain. He wants the headlines. He wants to point to struggling families and say, ‘Blame the Democrats.'”

“That’s not leadership,” the former lawmaker lamented. “That’s sadism dressed up as politics.”

Expressing anger over Trump’s $300 million ballroom, and possible $250 million Department of Justice settlement for being investigated, Kinzinger said, “I’ve seen what shutdowns do.”

“I’ve seen families line up at food pantries because their pay got delayed. I’ve heard from single parents who rely on SNAP to get through the week. These are not ‘lazy’ people. They’re workers — often working full-time — who still fall below the poverty line because the system rewards wealth, not work.”

He added that “what government is supposed to do” is “protect its citizens in hard times. Not turn hunger into a political weapon.”

Denouncing the “moral bankruptcy” of congressional Republicans and President Trump, Kinzinger wrote, “When you see a president who intentionally withholds help to make a point, you’re seeing the moral rot that now defines the GOP. The cruelty isn’t a side effect — it’s the strategy.”

READ MORE: Data Analyst Reveals Which Trump Policy Faces Sharpest Backlash Among Americans

Image via Reuters

President Donald Trump has repeatedly talked about running for a third term, but Speaker of the House Mike Johnson does not appear to be taking him very seriously.

“I would love to do it,” Trump recently told reporters.

“Trump again declines to rule out unconstitutional third term,” Axios reported on Monday, adding: “Trump has said he’s ‘not joking’ about a third term.”

The U.S. Constitution is clear.

“The 22nd Amendment plainly states that no one can be elected president more than twice,” The New York Times reported.

READ MORE: Trump Admin Blames Dems’ Immigration and Trans Policies for Food Stamp Shut Off

Trump’s allies have also been pushing for a third term.

Steve Bannon, in particular, has recently said they are looking at ways to have him run in 2028.

“Trump is going to be president in ’28,” Bannon said. “At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is.”

Asked on Tuesday about the President running for a third term, the Speaker of the House, a constitutional attorney, appeared to smirk before pushing back.

“Well, there is the 22nd Amendment,” Johnson told reporters. “I spoke with the president about an hour ago. It’s late in the evening in Japan. He’s working around the clock, serving the American people.”

After rattling off a list of how the Republican Party under Trump has “delivered,” while neglecting to mention that the federal government has been shut down for four weeks, Johnson added: “It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about the constrictions of the Constitution.”

READ MORE: ‘We Can Do as We Want’: Trump Boasts He Can Deploy Troops Into U.S. Cities However He Likes

“As much as so many American people lament that, the ‘Trump 2028’ cap is one of the most popular that’s ever been produced,” he observed. “And he has a good time with that trolling the Democrats, whose hair is on fire, about the very prospect.”

“I do believe that we’ve got three extraordinary years ahead of us,” he projected. “And, I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution, because it takes about ten years to do that, as you all know, to allow all the states to ratify, what — two-thirds of the House and three-fourths of the states would approve.”

“So, I don’t see the path for that, but I can tell you that we are not going to take our foot off the gas pedal,” he insisted. “He’ll have four strong years.”

Reporter: Trump floated running for president again in 2028. Does that violate the constitution?

Johnson: Well, there is the 22nd amendment. The Trump 2028 cap is one of the most popular *laughs* and he has a good time with that pic.twitter.com/PHPy9OmwlI

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 28, 2025

READ MORE: ‘Refrain From Any Action’: Congressional Vets Warn Trump on Using Troops Against Americans