Politics

The Government Is Closed. The President Is MIA.

Trump has been busy with everything but the government shutdown.

First published in The Atlantic on October 29, 2025.

by Toluse Olorunnipa, Jonathan Lemire and Russell Berman, The Atlantic

October 30, 2025 | reading time: 9 Min.

In the 29 days that the government has been closed, President Donald Trump has not traveled to Capitol Hill to jump-start negotiations, brought congressional leaders to the White House to broker a deal, or given a speech to the American public about the crisis.