Bulwark Takes Trump Freezes Jobs—Even for His Supporters. Will They Care?
Oct 2, 2025
Andrew Egger, author of the Morning Shots newsletter and a keen analyst of Republican strategies, joins to unpack the implications of Trump's shutdown. They explore the chilling tactics aimed at blue states, like freezing infrastructure projects worth $18 billion in New York as punishment. Egger sheds light on the political motivations behind halting green energy projects in Democratic areas and the economic fallout for workers—many of whom are Trump voters. It raises the question: can media optics outweigh the very real consequences for constituents?
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Shutdown Used As Political Leverage
- The White House is weaponizing the shutdown to punish Democratic constituencies by freezing projects in blue states.
- Russ Vought targeted New York infrastructure and green-energy spending as leverage against Democratic senators.
Selective Freezes Target Blue States
- The administration explicitly froze green-energy spending only in states that voted Democratic and have Democratic senators.
- That selective freeze is presented openly as political retaliation, not neutral budget discipline.
Legal Fig Leaf, Not Legal Certainty
- The legal cover offered (DEI concerns, furloughed reviewers) is a fig leaf for political action.
- Much of the frozen spending was appropriated by Congress and the White House lacks clear authority to refuse it.