As the federal government entered its fifth day of shutdown on Oct. 5, politician and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams accused President Donald Trump and Republicans of orchestrating what she called “the next phase of an authoritarian power grab.”
In a video shared on Instagram, Abrams broke down the potential fallout in stark numbers:
- 4 million people could lose healthcare coverage outright.
- 24 million Americans relying on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could see higher costs.
- Nearly 50% of small businesses and their employees — including a quarter of American farmers — receive healthcare through the ACA.
“Every time there’s a crisis, Trump and the Republicans use it to grab more power and pit us against each other,” Abrams said. “This time they’ve shut down the government because Democrats won’t let them steal healthcare, fire civil servants, and make us give up on democracy.”
The shutdown, now in its first week, has already furloughed thousands of federal workers, with ripple effects across the country.
Democrats are pushing to extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies as part of a stopgap funding bill, while Republicans argue the issue should be delayed until later in the year.
Trump, meanwhile, has embraced the standoff, boasting to CNN that Republicans are “winning” while privately facing concerns about political fallout.
Abrams urged Americans not only to resist what she described as a dangerous erosion of democratic norms, but also to step up in their communities during the shutdown’s hardships. She encouraged mutual aid efforts, food bank donations, and continued activism.
“Be loud and remind everyone who did this. They’re lying. Tell the truth,” she said. “Refuse to accept that we’ve already lost. Resistance works.”
Her comments reflect mounting Democratic concerns that the shutdown is not just a budgetary fight, but part of a broader ideological struggle over healthcare, democracy, and the balance of power in Washington.
