Due to the government shutdown on Oct. 1 2025, close to one million American federal workers have been temporarily suspended from their duties. Additionally, as of Oct. 10, the Trump administration has already laid off about 4200 federal employees. This shutdown is the third to occur under Trump, with the first two taking place in 2018 and 2019 during his first term. 

Currently, both the House of Representatives and the Senate are Republican-controlled. Because of that, the Senate does not have the 60 votes needed to pass the appropriations bill and set the federal budget. As president, Trump could use his position to help facilitate a compromise in Congress. Instead, the government shutdown has continued, and Congress’s stance on this issue remains unchanged. This showcases his lack of concern towards addressing a problem that is bound to affect millions of Americans.

In the past, other presidents have made more of an effort to push Congress towards an agreement. In 2013, President Barack Obama expressed his willingness to help Congress and the need for a budget to be passed. As for President Bill Clinton, he urged Congress to pass a bill and sympathized with federal workers. Unlike past presidents, Trump has not made any efforts to help resolve the conflict in Congress during the current shutdown. Instead, he has passed an executive order securing the pay of active-duty military personnel without addressing the thousands of people working in other areas including medical care, cybersecurity, intelligence and logistics. Additionally, he is using the shutdown as an excuse to close programs that are favored by democrats. That said, instead of helping to facilitate a compromise in Congress, he is using the shutdown as a means of laying off workers and eliminating certain programs.

Because of Trump’s $7.3 billion net worth, losing a source of income does not affect his ability to survive financially. For most Americans, this could not be further from the truth. Close to 60% of Americans lack the savings to cover an unexpected $1,000 expense. Additionally, 68% of Americans would be unable to afford their living expenses for a month if they lost their job. That said, Trump does not relate to the thousands of people being furloughed and laid off across the United States, or to those in restrictive financial positions in general, which explains his explicit inaction throughout the shutdown. 

This is exemplified by Trump’s passing of the Big Beautiful Bill, which allowed for wealthier Americans to receive specific tax cuts. At the same time, working-class Americans faced a tax increase. Countless Americans experiencing financial instability could have benefited from these tax cuts, yet the most financially stable Americans —a group that includes Trump —were the only ones to receive them. Overall, losing a source of income is of minimal concern to Trump, but for most Americans, it could uproot their entire lives.

In a representative democracy, citizens vote to elect representatives to carry out their interests and needs within the government. Since the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, this system of electing government officials has been followed. Therefore, it is the president’s duty to hear and respond to the needs of people across the U.S. This makes it necessary for Trump to begin making efforts to reach a compromise in Congress, rather than disregarding the situation simply because it does not affect him.

Regarding future government shutdowns, if the president can use their influence within Congress to begin the necessary negotiations for a bill, much of the stress for federal workers can be eliminated. Entering a position funded by the federal government also entails the possibility of losing your job for a period of time. As we move forward, the president should help to prevent these losses for the federal workforce and aim to shorten government shutdowns or prevent them entirely.

As a country that is founded on the basis of a representative democracy, it is necessary that those who are elected, especially the president, act to represent the needs of all Americans, not just those in similar situations to their own. While other presidents have publicly addressed the shutdown, Trump has remained largely uninvolved. That said, he should be taking action to combat the current situation in Congress rather than ignoring it because it is not something that will affect him.

Moving forward, it is vital that the president takes action to combat issues that affect all Americans, regardless of whether they are experiencing the same circumstances as them. As more people are being furloughed, it is necessary that efforts, such as publicly facilitating or speaking on a compromise in Congress, are made to try to address the government shutdown and restore the federal budget. Because the loss of income can have a detrimental effect on millions of people across the U.S., it is necessary that elected officials act to represent all Americans, rather than only those who share their circumstances.