When a top Democrat says that “families are going to suffer” because it gives their party “leverage,” it should make every American pause.
This kind of statement, offered as a strategy, shows what is wrong with today’s radical Left. Instead of governing for the people, they are using hardship to hold onto power.
As Americans cut back and federal workers worry about their next paycheck, Democrat leaders in Washington call it “leverage” while smiling for the cameras. That is not leadership; it is cruelty disguised as politics. Once again, President Donald J. Trump and his administration are standing between the American people and the chaos the Left is willing to create.
Trump has been here before. In 2019, he faced a similar moment and stood firm for border security, national sovereignty, and fairness for American workers. Then, as now, Democrats tried to weaponize pain. But Trump never once celebrated Americans’ hardship; he fought to end it. He fought for policies that reopened our economy, restored jobs, and rebuilt a nation that works for every citizen, not just the political elite.
Today, as radical Left politicians cheer suffering for leverage, Trump is once again the adult in the room, focused on reopening the government, paying our troops, protecting our borders, and restoring fiscal sanity. His administration is ready to clean house, cut waste, and make Washington work for the forgotten men and women of this country.
The contrast could not be clearer. On one side is a president who measures success by the prosperity of the American family. On the other side are party bosses who measure success by how much pain they can inflict before the other side blinks. The Left no longer hides its contempt for working Americans. They brag about it.
To declare that “families will suffer” and that this is “one of the few leverage times we have” isn’t just cold; it’s immoral. This is not negotiation. It’s hostage-taking of the American people for partisan gain. They’ve turned the basic duties of government — funding our military, supporting small businesses, feeding hungry children — into political ransom notes.
And while they play games, Trump and Vice President JD Vance are doing what real leaders do, putting Americans first. They’ve proposed serious spending reforms that protect essential workers, keep our commitments to veterans, and safeguard taxpayers’ money from waste and abuse. They are advancing an America First budget that cuts the fat, secures our borders, and rebuilds American prosperity without ever celebrating the suffering of a single citizen.
The radical Left calls this shutdown a “strategy.” But the truth is simpler. It’s sabotage. They are sabotaging our economy, our institutions, and our people’s faith in government, all to score political points and protect their own power. They want chaos because they thrive on it. They believe that if things get bad enough, Americans will give up and turn to government dependency.
But Trump believes in something stronger, the American spirit. He believes that our people, given freedom and opportunity, can rise higher than any crisis. That’s why his administration has prioritized reopening critical operations, ensuring pay for our service members, and securing the border to keep our communities safe. He doesn’t want leverage; he wants results.
And let’s be honest, the Democrats’ behavior isn’t just disgraceful; it’s revealing. They would rather see a single mother lose her paycheck than give Trump a legislative victory. They would rather keep airports jammed, small businesses paralyzed, and kids hungry than see an America First agenda succeed. Their priorities are political, not patriotic.
The America First movement stands in sharp contrast. It’s about restoring dignity to the worker, rebuilding faith in government, and ensuring that Washington never again uses Americans as pawns in its partisan wars. Trump’s leadership has reminded the world that government exists to serve its people, not to use them.
The radical Left should be ashamed of itself. No moral society, and no legitimate party, should ever take pride in the suffering of its citizens. Yet here we are, hearing Democrats celebrate misery as a means to an end. It’s an outrage, and it’s time every decent American said “enough.”
Trump’s leadership is a reminder that compassion and strength are not opposites, but partners. While the Left cheers pain, he delivers hope. While they stall progress, he rebuilds America.
When the history of this moment is written, it will show a clear dividing line: those who exploited American hardship, and those who fought to end it. Trump stands firmly on the right side of that line. The radical Left may treat suffering as a campaign tactic, but the America First movement will always treat the American people as sacred.
Jorge Martínez is Senior Advisor and National Director of Hispanic Outreach for America First Works. He formerly served as press secretary at the U.S. Department of Justice.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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