Overview
- Democrats won several high-profile contests, with Abigail Spanberger taking Virginia’s governorship, Mikie Sherrill winning in New Jersey, and Zohran Mamdani elected mayor of New York.
- Trump posted on Truth Social that Republicans lost because he was not on the ballot and because of the shutdown, adding the message “AND SO IT BEGINS!”
- At a White House breakfast with Senate Republicans, Trump said the shutdown hurt the party’s candidates and likened Democratic lawmakers to “kamikaze” pilots.
- The shutdown has reached 36 days, the longest on record, with reported disruptions to mail and air-traffic control, closures of museums and national parks, and the Agriculture Department saying SNAP funds have run out.
- Trump again urged abolishing the Senate filibuster, arguing it blocks Republicans from advancing their agenda.