There’s a clock on the White House website counting how long the federal government has been closed. The headline on the webpage is “Democrats Have Shut Down the Government.” In a way, this is true – and Democrats should own the narrative.

On Oct. 1, the government folded after the Senate failed to come to an agreement on provisions related to Obamacare subsidies and Medicaid. Republicans want to cut Medicaid as they planned in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and let some COVID-19 subsidies lapse – even as the cost of living grows thanks to President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda.

Democrats could, of course, roll over and let the Republican plans go through. Instead, they’re taking a stand against the cuts that could harm the country. They could use this as a moment to highlight the way Republicans are trying to destroy the country, and some are. Others, namely the Democratic Party's top brass, are failing to meet the moment.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) should be using a two-pronged approach in its messaging on the shutdown – one that best utilizes all of the party’s star players. Democratic leaders need to be utilizing both traditional media and social media to get their message out, which they need to keep clear and concise: They are fighting for you because Republican leaders are not. Of course, no one wants to take responsibility for government dysfunction, but it would be a good time to........

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