President Trump’s top economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, reportedly said Monday that the White House is increasingly confident the government shutdown could end this week, as moderate Senate Democrats face growing pressure to break from party leadership and vote to reopen the government.
Speaking on CNBC, Hassett, who heads the National Economic Council, pointed to what he described as “cracks in the Schumer armor,” referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “A lot of our friends in the Senate have said that it was just bad optics for Democrats to open the government before the ‘No Kings’ rally,” Hassett said. “And that now there’s a shot that this week things will come together, and very quickly the moderate Democrats will move forward and get us an open government, at which point we can negotiate whatever policies they want to negotiate.”
The comments came after massive “No Kings” rallies took place across the country over the weekend, drawing millions of demonstrators protesting the Trump administration’s policies.
While the rallies energized progressive activists, they also appear to have left some centrist Democrats uneasy about being tied to a prolonged shutdown that is increasingly unpopular among voters.
Hassett cited Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire as an example of those expressing discomfort with the party’s strategy. Shaheen recently suggested Democrats should reconsider their opposition to a series of noncontroversial funding bills that have been held up amid the broader standoff.
According to reports, several Senate Democrats have privately voiced concerns that voting to fund the government might draw backlash from their liberal base, particularly so soon after the high-profile protests. But some in the White House believe that pressure will fade quickly as frustration mounts over closed agencies, unpaid workers, and suspended services.
“There’s sort of cracks in the Schumer armor,” Hassett reiterated. “I think the Schumer Shutdown is likely to end sometime this week.”
Still, the administration has hinted it may escalate its response if the stalemate drags on. Hassett warned that if Democrats continue to block funding bills, “the White House is going to have to look very closely along with Russ Vought at stronger measures that we can take to bring them to the table,” referring to the director of the Office of Management and Budget.
In recent weeks, the White House has taken a series of cost-cutting actions during the shutdown, including layoffs of thousands of federal employees and the freezing or cancellation of billions of dollars in funding for major transportation and renewable energy projects in Democrat-led states.
While the administration has faced criticism for those measures, officials say they reflect the president’s determination to limit wasteful spending and ensure federal resources are used efficiently during the impasse.
The shutdown, now in its third week, has become a political test for both parties. For Trump, it is a demonstration of fiscal resolve; for Democrats, a test of unity. But as public frustration grows, the White House appears confident the standoff is nearing an end — one that could leave the president in a stronger negotiating position, and Democrats facing tough questions about their resistance to reopening the government.
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