Federal Workers Are Being Told to Blame Democrats for the Shutdown

At nan Department of Housing and Urban Development, labor were instructed to group an out-of-office connection that reads, “The national government’s spending authority expired astatine 11:59 connected Tuesday, September 30, 2025, therefore, astir HUD programs person been temporarily interrupted, and astir HUD labor person been told they cannot work…We regret immoderate inconvenience nan authorities lapse of appropriations whitethorn cause.”

On nan agency’s website however, a pop-up model announces, “The Radical Left successful Congress unopen down nan government. HUD will usage disposable resources to thief Americans successful need.” The aforesaid connection appears connected a reddish banner astatine nan apical of nan website, arsenic good arsenic successful a pop-up pinch nan aforesaid banner successful nan agency’s soul strategy for employees, hud@work.

“You can’t click thing without these annoying pop-ups. Every azygous click to get to a clip paper aliases HRConnect,” says a HUD worker who asked to stay anonymous because they aren’t authorized to speak to nan press. “It’s fucking nuts.”

HUD did not respond to a petition for comment.

The website for nan Department of Justice (DOJ) besides includes a banner stating, “Democrats person unopen down nan government. Department of Justice websites are not presently regularly updated.”

The DOJ did not respond to a petition for comment.

In nan lead up to nan shutdown, labor crossed authorities received emails from agency leaders containing akin sentiments to those successful nan SBA email. An email from HUD’s lawman caput Andrew Hughes connected nan evening of September 30 included nan taxable line, “Far Left Gov Shutdown Imminent” and included instructions for HUD labor during nan shutdown. An email received by labor astatine nan Department of nan Interior (DOI), pinch a signature from Secretary Doug Burgum, read, “President Trump opposes a authorities shutdown, and powerfully supports nan enactment of HR 5371, which is simply a cleanable Continuing Resolution to money nan authorities done November 21, and already passed nan US House of Representatives. Unfortunately, Democrats are blocking this Continuing Resolution successful nan US Senate owed to unrelated argumentation demands.”

A astir identical email was sent retired to labor astatine nan Small Business Administration (SBA) from nan email associated pinch nan Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO).

“The reside of nan connection is very antagonistic and partisan successful a measurement we don’t expect from general messaging from agency leaders,” says Moynihan. “If you had a national worker who emailed their colleagues blaming president Trump for nan unopen down, they’d beryllium pursued for a Hatch Act usurpation and astir apt fired successful nan meantime.”

In a memo posted connected X that appeared to beryllium sent to nan heads of executive departments and agencies, Russell Vought, nan caput of nan Office of Management and Budget (OMB), alleged that nan authorities was shutting down owed to “insane argumentation demands” from Democrats.

Leah Feiger contributed reporting.