Overview

• HUD’s website displays a bright red banner and pop-up blaming the “Radical Left in Congress” for the shutdown, a sharp break from past neutral notices.
• Similar blame-focused messages appear on sites for the White House, Justice, State, Agriculture, Treasury and the Small Business Administration, with some pages featuring countdown timers or looping clips.
• Internal guidance and emails tied to OMB Director Russell Vought urged agencies and employees to frame the lapse as caused by Democrats, including suggested out‑of‑office templates.
• Public Citizen filed a Hatch Act complaint with the Office of Special Counsel over HUD’s banner, and groups including Democracy Defenders Fund, Democracy Forward, CREW and the Campaign Legal Center pressed for investigations.
• HUD officials defended the language as targeting an ideology and a legislative process rather than a party or candidate, while Secretary Scott Turner amplified the message on social media.