White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday (November 12, 2025) accused Democrats of plunging the United States into the most extended government shutdown in history for “pure partisan politics,”saying the 43-day stalemate inflicted billions of dollars in economic damage and hurt families across the country.
“The damage caused by the Democrats with this reckless government shutdown cannot be forgotten. It is entirely the fault of the Democrat Party,” Ms. Leavitt told reporters from the podium of the White House Briefing Room.
The press secretary said President Donald Trump was “very hopeful” the standoff would end within hours as lawmakers voted on a clean continuing resolution (CR) to reopen the government.
‘The Longest Shutdown in U.S. History’
Ms. Leavitt laid out a grim tally of the shutdown’s effects — hundreds of thousands of unpaid federal workers, millions of delayed food assistance payments, and airports crippled by staff shortages.
