In anticipation of the longest authorities shutdown in U.S. historical past lastly ending, MSNBC’s Katy Tur couldn’t let it finish with out degrading President Trump one final time, pointing to the mass-firings of federal workers and withholding of SNAP advantages as proof of “callousness.”
Tur believed that, “… the shutdown did reveal fairly a darkish aspect of Donald Trump. I imply, posting in regards to the grim reaper coming to slash authorities jobs, shedding employees, simply wait. Suing states to say, ‘No, you may’t launch these SNAP funds.’”
She then steered that Trump was once extra sympathetic and manipulable below emotional stress:
There was a sure callousness that went additional than I’ve seen Donald Trump go prior to now. Normally when he is offered with struggling, or prior to now when he had been offered with struggling, he is folded…
Prompted by Tur, employees author for The Atlantic Ashley Parker emphasised how a lot the President should have loved punishing others throughout the shutdown:
TUR: Am I incorrect to say that there is a change there? Has there been an evolution or devolution?
PARKER: A part of what it revealed is what we have lengthy identified, Katie, which is his kind of gleeful exuberance of, you recognize, “We’re gonna make cuts to Democratic initiatives and Democratic states. We’re gonna lay off the federal bureaucrats who we do not like anyhow.” I feel that is much less of a revelation for college kids of the President and extra of an underscoring that this isn’t Barack Obama, “There isn’t any purple states and blue states. There’s simply purple states in a unified American.” He is all the time made clear that he views himself because the President for his supporters.
Parker went on to assist Tur’s concept of Trump’s former vulnerability: “It is fascinating what you mentioned about when he’s confronted with struggling, he typically folds. I feel that is proper. However it’s typically visible footage […] of struggling, the kind of struggling you see in a conflict, in a strike. Typically even in immigration detention amenities.”
Effectively, not getting free cash for meals or not working for the federal authorities (which have been paid for by you, expensive reader) weren’t remotely as destitute as both of these examples. Perhaps it’s time to wean America off of the welfare state.
The transcript is beneath. Click on “broaden” to learn:
MSNBC’s Katy Tur Stories
November 12, 2025
3:25:58 p.m. EST
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KATY TUR: So, Ashley, we talked about this just a little bit earlier, and I might love you to weigh in on this as properly, the shutdown did reveal fairly a darkish aspect of Donald Trump. I imply, posting in regards to the grim reaper coming to slash authorities jobs, shedding employees, simply wait. Suing states to say, “No, you may’t launch these SNAP funds.” Arguing that the individuals which might be actually hurting from this or ought to be punished throughout the shutdown are Democrats, regardless that while you take a look at the maps, the those who benefit from the SNAP advantages, or those who want the SNAP advantages or those who want the ACA subsidies largely come from — come from in all places, however there is a massive focus within the deep purple states.
There was a sure callousness that went additional than I’ve seen Donald Trump go prior to now. Normally when he is offered with struggling, or prior to now when he had been offered with struggling, he is folded, which is why I believed the Democrats may need an opportunity to get him in some unspecified time in the future to drive the Republicans to vote on an extension of those subsidies. Am I incorrect to say that there is a change there? Has there been an evolution or devolution?
ASHLEY PARKER: Effectively, it is fascinating. A part of what it revealed is what we have lengthy identified, Katie, which is his kind of gleeful exuberance of, you recognize, “We’re gonna make cuts to Democratic initiatives and Democratic states. We’re gonna lay off the federal bureaucrats who we do not like anyhow.” I feel that is much less of a revelation for college kids of the President and extra of an underscoring that this isn’t Barack Obama, “There isn’t any purple states and blue states. There’s simply purple states in a unified American.” He is all the time made clear that he views himself because the President for his supporters.
What is probably extra stunning, among the stuff just like the Reasonably priced Care Act, the premiums, the subsidies, that is one thing that’s going to harm his supporters as a lot as anybody else. Similar with the SNAP advantages. It is fascinating what you mentioned about when he’s confronted with struggling, he typically folds. I feel that is proper. However it’s typically visible footage —
TUR: Yeah.
PARKER: — of struggling, the kind of struggling you see in a conflict, in a strike. Typically even in immigration detention amenities. However I questioned, to your query, I do not know the reply, a few of these premiums that there is not kind of a photograph picture or a TV picture that captures somebody such as you performed in that telephone name, whose premiums, whose healthcare is now gonna value greater than their wage. And that may be the disconnect that you just’re articulating, Katie.
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