WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump accused “kamikaze” Democrats of being prepared to destroy the country as the government shutdown became the longest in history on Wednesday, eclipsing the 35-day record set during the Republican leader’s first term.

Federal agencies have been grinding to a halt since Congress failed to approve funding past September 30, and the pain has been mounting as welfare programmes — including aid that helps millions of Americans afford groceries — hang in the balance.

Some 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to park wardens, remain on enforced leave or are working without pay. Some courts are using emergency funds to stay open, and warning that operations could slow if the shutdown drags on.

“I just got back from Japan,” the Republican president told a breakfast meeting with Republican senators at the White House as the shutdown entered its sixth week.

Administration sounds alarm over turmoil at airports nationwide if the crisis drags further

“I talked about the kamikaze pilots. I think these guys are kamikaze,” he said, referencing Democrats. “They’ll take down the country if they have to.”

Turmoil at airports

Hours before the shutdown record toppled at midnight, the Trump administration sounded the alarm over turmoil at airports nationwide if the crisis drags further into November, with worsening staff shortages snarling airports and closing down sections of airspace.

“So if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos…you will see mass flight delays,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

“You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers.” Thanksgiving air travel is expected to set a new record this year, the American Automobile Association (AAA) projected — with 5.8 million people set to fly domestically over the Nov 27 holiday.

More than 60,000 air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are working without pay, and the White House has warned that increased absenteeism could mean chaos at check-in lines. Airport workers calling in sick rather than working without pay — leading to significant delays — was a major factor in Trump bringing an end to the 2019 shutdown. Both Democrats and Republicans remain unwavering, however, over the main sticking point in the current stoppage — health care spending.

‘Defiance’

Democrats say they will only provide votes to end the funding lapse after a deal has been struck to extend expiring insurance subsidies that make health care affordable for millions of Americans. But Republicans insist they will only address health care once Democrats have voted to switch the lights back on in Washington.

While both sides’ leadership have shown little appetite for compromise, there have been signs of life on the back benches, with a handful of moderate Democrats working to find an escape hatch.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2025