President Trump has done what many said could never be done: he delivered peace in the Middle East. After decades of bloodshed and failed diplomacy, the region is finally stabilizing because Trump refused to accept the impossible. It’s an extraordinary achievement, born not of cautious bureaucracy but of conviction, clarity and strength.
Now, Trump turns his attention homeward, where Washington’s dysfunction has led to a government shutdown. The contrast is striking: a president who can bring warring nations to the table now faces gridlock in his own capital, manufactured by politicians who mistake obstruction for leadership.
Trump will not be pushed around by the Beltway insiders who think politics is a game of surrender. The president knows that strength wins respect, and he has the leverage to reopen the government on terms that serve the American people, not the Washington establishment.
Sen. Chuck Schumer’s hostage-taking may please his party’s base, but it won’t fool voters. The Senate’s rules were never intended to let a minority hold the government hostage. The filibuster was designed to encourage careful deliberation, not sabotage the government. Republicans can — and should — act. A rule change to allow a clean continuing resolution to pass by a simple majority would break the stalemate and return power where it belongs: to the elected majority.
If Trump reopens the government without giving in to Schumer, it will mark another victory for leadership over weakness. But he shouldn’t stop there. Once the lights are back on in Washington, the next fight should be over the broken healthcare system that continues to burden Americans.
If Republicans stand still, Democrats will hang every rise in premiums and every insurance hike around their necks from now until the midterms. Trump should deny them that talking point by going on offense, with real reform.
Democrats want to pretend Obamacare is untouchable. Yet, they’re the ones who built a system that drives up premiums, limits choice and crushes competition. The middle class has been paying the price for Washington’s complacency ever since.
Yes, existing subsidies will need to be extended in the short term. However, the deeper fix is to restore a market where prices matter and Americans have control over their healthcare. Health Savings Accounts should become universal. Instead of funneling every dollar through insurance companies and bureaucrats, Americans should be empowered to spend their own healthcare dollars directly. The default for most Americans should be that insurance companies contribute to HSAs for everyday medical costs, while blanket coverage protects only against major expenses. That’s how you rebuild a system based on competition, transparency and personal responsibility.
Such a plan would do more than reform healthcare; it would reaffirm the principle that individuals, not government, make the best choices for their families. It would mean fewer bureaucrats, lower costs and more freedom. That’s a winning message not just for policy but for politics.
Pair that reform with extended subsidies and challenge Democrats to oppose it. If they do, Republicans can rightly point out who is genuinely responsible for higher premiums. When Americans see their health costs rise, they’ll know it’s because Democrats voted against extending subsidies and empowering patients.
Trump has already delivered peace abroad. Now he can provide renewal at home. He can end the shutdown on his terms and restore a healthcare system that works for the forgotten men and women of this country. It would be another victory for a president who keeps proving the experts wrong, and for an America that’s learning once again that strength, not surrender, gets results.