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Washington [US], September 26 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) accused Democrats of being responsible for a possible government shutdown.

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Trump said, “Democrats want to shut [government] down, and they want to shut it down because they want to give billions — ultimately trillions — of dollars to illegal migrants.”

“These people are crazy… They’re the ones that are shutting down government,” he added.

Amid these accusations, cracks are beginning to appear in the Senate Democratic caucus over whether to oppose a seven-week clean government funding bill passed by the House, The Hill reported, as Trump’s threat to lay off thousands of federal workers shifts the political calculus on a potential shutdown.

According to The Hill, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has maintained he will not back the House-approved GOP stopgap. Schumer, who faces a possible 2028 primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has taken a firm stance against the measure. However, centrist members of his caucus are exploring options to prevent a shutdown that could disrupt federal operations next week.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who will retire at the end of 2026, has been reaching out to Republican colleagues to find common ground. She told Semafor in an interview, “a number of ways” exist to avert a shutdown “that should satisfy both sides.” Shaheen further noted, “I’m not going to draw a line in the sand and say it’s got to be this way or that way.”

Democratic insiders told The Hill that Trump’s warning to use a shutdown as grounds to order agencies to dismiss employees from programs “not consistent with the president’s priorities” has intensified concerns. While Schumer dismissed the White House memo directing agencies to consider reduction in force notices, he warned such moves would ultimately fail. “This is nothing new and has nothing to do with funding the government. Their unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back, just like they did as recently as today,” he said.

Still, Democrats are weighing the risks of a conservative-leaning Supreme Court siding with Trump. Earlier this week, the court cleared the way for Trump to remove Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter and signalled openness to reconsidering precedent on executive authority over independent agencies.

A Senate GOP aide confirmed bipartisan talks are taking place beyond the Democratic leadership. “There is a small handful of intelligent Democrats who don’t want to see the government shut down [and] are working behind the scenes,” the aide said, adding that Republicans are not ready to concede significant ground.

At least eight Democratic senators would need to break from Schumer to secure passage of the funding stopgap. Republicans hold 53 seats, though Senator Rand Paul has pledged to oppose the measure over concerns it sustains high spending levels.

Senator Lisa Murkowski opposed the House GOP bill last week and has raised concerns about expiring health insurance premium subsidies. She indicated she could support a clean resolution if it carried bipartisan backing.

Other Democratic senators remain undecided. Senator John Fetterman voted in favor of the measure last week, though it failed 44-48. Retiring lawmakers including Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin and Senator Gary Peters are seen as potential swing votes. Senators Maggie Hassan, Kirsten Gillibrand, Angus King, and Catherine Cortez Masto are also viewed as pivotal.

The Hill noted that Senate Majority Leader John Thune is expected to bring the House-passed stopgap back to the Senate floor next week, setting up a critical showdown as the funding deadline approaches. (ANI)

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New York [US], September 26 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday claimed that India sought “political gains” post Pahalgam attack, keeping mum on Islamabad’s own funding and promotion of counter-border terrorism.

During his address at the UN General Debate, the Pakistan PM alleged that India attacked Pakistan’s “innocent civilians”, prompting their armed forces to respond in self-defence.

“In May this year, my country confronted unprovoked aggression from our eastern front. The enemy came shrouded in arrogance, and we sent them back in humiliation. India sought to extract political gains from a human tragedy by spurning my sincere offer of an independent investigation into the Pahalgam incident. Instead, it attacked our cities and targeted our innocent civilians. When our territorial integrity and national security were violated, our response was in accordance with the right of self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations charter,” Shehbaz Sharif said.

Sharif once again made false claims about India, asserting that Pakistan shot down Indian fighter jets, a statement he’s made previously. Sharif claimed Pakistan’s forces responded with “stunning professionalism,” repelling the aggression and shooting down seven Indian jets, sending them “to scrap and dust.”

“Our valiant armed forces mounted an operation of stunning professionalism, repulsing the enemy’s attack. Our falcons took flight and etched thier answer across the skies, resulting in seven of the Indian jets turning to scrap and dust,” he added.

The Pakistan PM again failed to mention that India specifically targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir region during Operation Sindoor.

Shehbaz Sharif’s remark again lacked any proof but had empty statements, claiming Pakistan’s victory. Pakistan has made claims about shooting down Indian Air Force jets, specifically asserting that they downed five to six Indian aircraft during recent conflicts, including Operation Sindoor. However, India has consistently disputed these claims, labelling them as baseless and lacking concrete evidence.

India denied Pakistan’s assertions, with officials like Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh confirming India shot down Pakistani jets instead. Pakistan hasn’t provided substantial proof, leading India to question the validity of the claims.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

Unlike Shehbaz Sharif’s hypothetical claims, India backed up the details of the strikes with press conferences held by top military officials, who provided evidence, including satellite images.

During the first press briefing on May 7, India clarified its response as focused, measured and non-escalatory. It was specifically mentioned that Pakistani military establishments had not been targeted. It was also reiterated that any attack on military targets in India will invite a suitable response. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, across multiple press briefings on May 8, 9, and 10, laid bare India’s plan of action and the full extent of Pakistan’s designs.

India successfully destroyed nine major terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), targeting Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen facilities. Over 100 terrorists were killed in action. (ANI)

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The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.