Will the Democrats’ shutdown gamble pay off?

24 snips

Oct 2, 2025

The U.S. federal government has shut down, igniting fierce debates about political strategy and blame. Democrats aim to leverage this moment to protect healthcare benefits and challenge Republican spending cuts. Alongside this, Trump’s TikTok deal raises questions about ownership and the potential for political manipulation of its powerful algorithms. The hosts delve into whether Democrats can effectively reframe their message to the public while also navigating concerns about TikTok's influence in the political landscape.

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INSIGHT

Democrats Use Shutdown As Political Tool

Democrats used their Senate leverage to force a government shutdown as a political tactic.
They aim to spotlight healthcare cuts and blame Republicans for reduced affordability.

INSIGHT

Healthcare Framing Is Central To The Strategy

Democrats frame the shutdown narrowly around protection of Affordable Care Act subsidies.
They hope focusing on healthcare will generate popular support and political leverage.

INSIGHT

Risk Of Millions Losing Coverage Drives Anger

Democrats argue cuts to Medicaid and subsidies will cause tens of millions to lose insurance.
They expect public anger over rising costs and lost coverage to boost Democratic standing.

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The US federal government has shut down for the first time since 2018, and with it the suspension of all non-essential services and the threat of mass firings among federal workers.

The shutdown comes after Congress failed to reach an agreement on future spending plans, leading to an angry blame game in the media over who is really responsible. For Democrats, the shutdown presents an opportunity to fight back against Donald Trump’s agenda, in particular on healthcare and cutbacks in spending.

But has the party picked the right moment to challenge the president - and will Democrats be able to land their message with the American public? Justin and Anthony unpack what the Democrats are trying to achieve and where they go from here.

And, Donald Trump has reached a deal that would transfer ownership of TikTok away from the Chinese company ByteDance and allow operations to continue in the U.S. The deal itself involves investors with close links to the president, but what does it mean for TikTok’s users, and who will have ownership of the app’s powerful algorithms?

HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

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This episode was made by Purvee Pattni, Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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