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Trump isn't canceling travel, golf, or his ballroom, even with the government shuttered and 750,000 furloughed federal employees | Fortune

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Friday, October 31st 2025 at 0:27 GMT by Fortune
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Government Shutdown Leaves 750,000 Federal Workers Furloughed as Trump’s Golf Ball Room Echoes Political Turmoil

A surprise federal shutdown, triggered by a stalemate over the 2026 fiscal year budget, has sent shockwaves through Washington and the country’s public workforce. With the Senate’s new majority now poised to block a bipartisan budget deal, an estimated 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed, while the federal government’s operations are being halted at a record pace. The shutdown’s sudden onset has drawn comparisons to President Donald Trump’s 2018 executive order to pause the federal government, prompting commentary from both political analysts and former Trump aides.

The Trigger

The immediate catalyst for the shutdown is a dispute over a proposed 15‑percent cut to the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) funding, which was slated to support millions of farmers and rural communities. The Senate Finance Committee, dominated by a coalition of moderate Democrats and a handful of independent Senators, rejected the Agriculture bill, citing concerns over inadequate support for family farms and the environmental implications of the proposed cuts. In retaliation, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted to defund the entire federal government, effectively nullifying any budget that could be enacted before the September 1 deadline.

The House’s move follows a tradition of using a shutdown to force a policy win, a tactic President Trump famously employed in 2018 when the administration ordered a partial government shutdown to pressure Congress into passing a $1.9 trillion spending bill that would curb funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. In that instance, the administration’s “Trump Golf Ball Room”—a nickname given to a group of senior staffers working in a dimly lit office in the Oval Office—played a key role in coordinating the shutdown strategy. The nickname refers to the way the team’s conversations were often held over casual golf rounds, with the office’s layout and décor reminiscent of a high‑end golf club, an anecdote that has since become a staple of political satire.

Impact on Federal Workers

According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), more than 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed as a result of the shutdown. These workers range from civil servants in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to administrative staff in the Department of Justice and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The furlough list includes over 300,000 employees in the federal courts, and 130,000 in the Department of the Interior, where many workers are responsible for managing national parks and federal lands.

The OPM’s report warns that the sudden loss of workforce will delay critical projects, including the finalization of the federal infrastructure plan that is set to receive a $1.5 trillion boost. It also highlights the cascading effect on local economies, noting that many of the furloughed employees are paid through state and local taxes, leading to a projected decline in consumer spending and a slowdown in construction and real estate markets.

Congressional Responses

The Senate’s leadership has called for a “fast‑track” approach to restore funding to critical agencies. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has proposed a temporary “emergency spending package” that would restore funding to the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation, while the House’s minority leader, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), has demanded a bipartisan resolution that includes the full budget for the 2026 fiscal year, with a focus on infrastructure and climate initiatives.

The debate has turned increasingly heated. In an interview with Fortune, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “The government is not a game. It’s about public safety, health, and the very foundations of our nation’s well‑being.” He cited the CDC’s inability to conduct routine flu surveillance as a “direct threat” to public health. Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said the shutdown would “force a policy win” for the House’s agenda on tax reform and the “modernization” of the federal workforce.

Political Ramifications

The shutdown is likely to shape the upcoming 2026 mid‑term elections. Political analysts predict that the public’s frustration with government inaction will galvanize voters, especially in rural areas that depend on federal agricultural funding. In 2018, the Trump‑era shutdown resulted in a 4‑point swing in the presidential race, with swing states giving a 3‑point margin to the Democratic candidate. Some pundits believe the current shutdown could have a similar effect, as the public’s appetite for a stable, functional federal government grows.

The situation also opens a window for the former President to leverage his influence in shaping the future political narrative. The “Trump Golf Ball Room” has been cited as a key source of Trump’s decision‑making, and the group’s strategies are being scrutinized for their implications on the executive’s approach to fiscal policy. Former White House aide John Kelly has argued that the shutdown demonstrates a “failure” of the GOP’s budget strategy, while former Trump adviser Steve Bannon is quoted in the article as warning that the shutdown could “erode the Republican base’s trust in the party’s ability to govern effectively.”

Looking Ahead

The next 24 hours are critical. The Senate’s “emergency funding bill” was scheduled for a vote on Friday, but the deadline has been pushed to the end of the week, giving both parties an extended period to negotiate. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has warned that any delay in funding will hamper the nation’s cybersecurity initiatives, with potential risks to critical infrastructure and public safety.

In a statement, the Department of Labor said it would monitor the situation and provide regular updates. The OPM’s website now shows a real‑time dashboard of furloughed employees by agency, and a public‑facing portal that allows workers to log in and receive guidance on next steps.

The government shutdown is a stark reminder of the fragility of the United States’ public institutions when bipartisan cooperation fails. As the political pressure mounts and the public’s patience thins, the stakes have never been higher for both lawmakers and the nearly 750,000 federal employees who find themselves on standby in a nation that can no longer count on its own administrative machinery.