For instance, one message initially learn:
There’s a non permanent shutdown of the U.S. authorities because of a lapse in appropriations. I’ll reply to your message whether it is allowable as an excepted exercise or as quickly as doable after the non permanent shutdown ends.
But it surely was modified it to:
Thanks for contacting me. On September 10, 2025, the Home of Representatives handed H.R. 5371, a clear persevering with decision. Sadly, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 within the Senate which has led to a lapse in appropriations. As a result of lapse of appropriations, I’m presently in furlough standing. I’ll reply to emails as soon as authorities features resume.
Even worse, one staffer mentioned that they switched their message again to the impartial model, solely to see it modified once more.
“None of us consented to this. And it’s written in the first-person, as if I’m the one conveying this message, and I’m not,” they instructed NBC. “I don’t agree with it. I don’t think it’s ethical or legal. I think it violates the Hatch Act.”
Associated | It’s easy: Republicans have the votes to finish their shutdown
One other staffer agreed: “I took the statement they sent us earlier in the week to use. And I pasted it on top of that—basically a standard out-of-office. They went in and manipulated my out-of-office reply. I guess they’re now making us all guilty of violating the Hatch Act.”
The Hatch Act restricts partisan political exercise by federal staff—and that’s precisely what Democrats say is going on right here.
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the highest Democrat on the Home Oversight Committee, is looking for an investigation. In a letter to the Workplace of the Particular Counsel obtained by MSNBC, Garcia wrote that the Trump administration is in “blatant violation of the law” for “misuse of taxpayer dollars for political purposes.”
The Training Division didn’t instantly reply to Day by day Kos’ request for remark. Nonetheless, one spokesperson had an out-of-office message that mirrored the partisan language:
Thanks for contacting the press group. On September 19, 2025, the Home of Representatives handed H.R. 5371, a clear persevering with decision. Sadly, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 within the Senate, which has led to a lapse in appropriations. As a result of lapse in appropriations, we’re presently in furlough standing. We are going to reply to emails as soon as authorities features resume.
The State Division’s web site, which initially carried a impartial message about restricted updates because of a “lapse” in funding, now blames “the Democrat-led shutdown.”
A cartoon by Clay Bennett.
And the Small Enterprise Administration’s web site claims that Senate Democrats are blocking small enterprise loans. The Justice Division has additionally slapped a banner throughout its web page declaring, “Democrats have shut down the government.”
On the Division of Housing and City Growth, a pop-up message blares, “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government.”
Weaponizing official authorities web sites is dangerous sufficient, however the Division of Training’s strategy is extra insidious, dragging civil servants into the GOP’s speaking factors as in the event that they personally endorse them.
Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and GOP leaders have been hammering the identical false line that Democrats precipitated the shutdown by demanding advantages for undocumented immigrants. In actuality, Democrats are combating to maintain well being care subsidies inexpensive for American households.
The GOP, which controls the White Home and each chambers of Congress, is the one refusing to budge.
Shutdown standoffs aren’t new for Republicans. For many years, the social gathering has employed threats—or precise shutdowns—as a political software, making them a well-recognized a part of its playbook. However whereas GOP leaders could also be hoping that voters will blame Democrats this time, early polls counsel that the general public isn’t falling for it.
That leaves Trump because the wildcard, as common—utilizing authorities equipment to spin a narrative that isn’t touchdown and, within the course of, making his personal social gathering’s mess even greater.
