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The Republican Party loves to call itself the party of “small government” — but what they’re really building is a weaker America. From gutting Medicaid, Social Security, and veterans’ benefits to forcing a government shutdown they fully controlled, Trump and his allies are showing us their authoritarian playbook in real time.

In this episode, we break down how the GOP turned shutdown into a weapon, how propaganda and AI-generated lies are now coming straight from government channels, and why Democrats need to stop treating this as politics-as-usual. This isn’t dysfunction — it’s sabotage. And unless we name it for what it is, we’re letting Trump run the same play over and over again.

👉 Republicans own this shutdown. The question is: will Democrats finally start acting like an opposition party?

By the Ballot is an opinion series published on Substack. All views expressed are solely those of the author and should not be interpreted as reporting or objective journalism or attributed to any other individual or organization. I am not a journalist or reporter, nor do I claim to be one. This publication represents personal commentary, analysis, and opinion only.



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