The US government began shutting down Wednesday after lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to break a budget impasse during acrimonious talks that hinged on Democratic demands for health care funding.

Republicans and Democrats immediately blamed each other for the deadlock that will impact hundreds of thousands of government workers and the millions of Americans who use the services they provide.

The shutdown, which will stop work at multiple federal departments and agencies, comes as deep partisan divisions in Washington have raised fears over the length and consequences of the halt.

Trump threatened to punish Democrats and their voters by targeting progressive priorities and forcing mass public sector job cuts during the first stoppage since the one during his previous term.

"So we'd be laying off a lot of people that are going to be very affected. And they're Democrats, they're going to be Democrats," Trump told reporters, adding a "lot of good can come down from shutdowns."

Multiple US embassies announced on X that their accounts would only be updated with "urgent safety and security information", while NASA said........

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