Johnson says Schumer’s shutdown hands Trump political opportunity

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., created a problematic government shutdown for the American people — but the move may have handed President Donald Trump the “keys to the kingdom.”

“While a shutdown is very damaging for real American people who depend upon government services, it can provide an opportunity to downsize the scope and the scale of government, which is something that we’ve all always wanted to do,” Johnson told “Mornings with Maria” on Wednesday.

“So, in a way, Chuck Schumer has now handed the keys to the kingdom to the executive branch under President Trump to do some things that we would not otherwise be able to do because we would never get Democrat votes for them.” 

The House speaker accused Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) of taking “a partisan political stand for their own purposes” after the duo failed to bring “credible” arguments to their meeting with President Trump.

GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN AFTER CONGRESS DEADLOCKS ON SPENDING DEAL

Then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, speaks during a news conference following the weekly Democratic caucus luncheon at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.  (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Johnson explained that Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought will now be responsible for deciding which services to prioritize or suspend because of the shutdown.

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Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.  (Allison Robbert/Bloomberg/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“And Chuck Schumer has allowed that, so from his political perspective, it’s a pretty massive backfire, and there’s a real opportunity for government to work more efficiently and effectively for the people [once] those decisions are made.”

The federal government shut down overnight after Democrats and Republicans in the Senate failed to reach a spending agreement by the Sept. 30 fiscal year 2025 deadline.

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The shutdown impacts many public services and government agencies, including Medicare and Medicaid, FEMA, Veterans Affairs and the Department of Transportation.