In a move that reeked of desperation, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ventured into what he likely considers hostile territory—Fox News—to plead his case on the ongoing government shutdown. What was intended as a public relations offensive quickly devolved into a moment of profound public humiliation, as Jeffries was repeatedly called out for disseminating misleading information, revealing the cracks in the Democratic party’s strategy and their growing anxiety over a shutdown that has begun to backfire on them.

The interview, which has since gone viral, saw Jeffries attempting to pin the blame for the shutdown squarely on the shoulders of the Republican party. He argued that the GOP’s proposed spending bill would “gut veterans’ healthcare,” slash funding for women, infants, and children, and decimate affordable housing programs. However, the Fox News host was quick to point out a glaring inconsistency in his argument: the spending levels in the Republican bill were the same ones that many Democrats had voted for just months earlier. The bill was not a radical departure from the status quo, but rather a continuation of existing funding levels.

Jeffries’ attempt to frame the bill as a draconian measure designed to harm the most vulnerable Americans fell flat under the weight of this simple fact. He was, in essence, caught lying on national television, and the moment served as a microcosm of the larger Democratic strategy: to create a crisis, misrepresent the facts, and then blame the ensuing chaos on their political opponents.

The core of the Democrats’ strategy appears to be twofold. First, they are attempting to link the government shutdown to the issue of Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year. By doing so, they hope to paint the Republicans as the party that is trying to take away healthcare from millions of Americans. The problem with this narrative, as the interview made clear, is that the two issues are entirely separate. The Obamacare subsidies were always set to expire, regardless of whether or not the government shut down. The Democrats have opportunistically seized on this issue, using it as a political cudgel to beat the Republicans into submission.

The second part of their strategy is even more cynical. It has been reported that the Democrats are planning to hold out until October 18th, when a large-scale protest, known as the “No Kings” protest, is scheduled to take place in Washington D.C. The goal, it seems, is to allow the protest to escalate, create a chaotic and potentially violent scene, and then blame the entire situation on President Trump and the Republican party. This would, they hope, be enough to turn public opinion against the GOP and give the Democrats a much-needed political victory heading into the midterm elections.

This strategy is not only deeply cynical, but it is also incredibly dangerous. To deliberately prolong a government shutdown, to allow the country to teeter on the brink of chaos, all for the sake of political gain, is a shocking dereliction of duty. And yet, this appears to be the path that Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer have chosen to take.

The irony, of course, is that their strategy is already beginning to backfire. The American people are not as foolish as the Democrats seem to believe. They are beginning to see through the lies and the political maneuvering. They know that it is the Democrats who are holding the government hostage, who are refusing to negotiate in good faith, and who are putting their own political interests ahead of the needs of the country.

President Trump, for his part, has wisely taken steps to mitigate the damage caused by the shutdown. He has reallocated funds from non-essential federal agencies to ensure that our military members will continue to be paid, a move that has been widely praised and which stands in stark contrast to the Democrats’ willingness to let our troops go without pay.

The fact that Hakeem Jeffries felt the need to go on Fox News in the first place is a clear indication of just how desperate the Democrats have become. They know that they are losing the public relations war, and they are scrambling to regain control of the narrative. But as his humiliating interview demonstrated, it is hard to control a narrative that is built on a foundation of lies.

As the shutdown continues, the pressure will only continue to mount on the Democrats. The American people are growing tired of the political games and the partisan bickering. They want their government to work for them, and they are not going to be fooled by the Democrats’ cynical attempts to shift the blame.

The coming days will be crucial. It remains to be seen whether the Democrats will come to their senses and agree to a reasonable compromise, or whether they will continue down this dangerous path of obstruction and deceit. But one thing is certain: Hakeem Jeffries’ disastrous performance on Fox News has done irreparable damage to his party’s credibility, and it may very well be the turning point in this high-stakes political showdown. The shutdown has become a test of wills, and for now, the Democrats are blinking. The question is whether they will blink before they plunge the country into a crisis from which it may not easily recover.3