Crossfire of accusations between the White House and Democrats intensifies with hours to go before the government shutdown

Time is running out to avert a government shutdown. Meanwhile, negotiations remain stalled and instead of making progress, the past few hours have been marked by an intense exchange of accusations between the White House and Democratic leaders, with each side blaming the other for the stalemate.

Sen. Chuck Schumer posted a message criticizing President Donald Trump, saying that his jokes about the Democrats’ position are making it harder to reach an agreement to avoid a government shutdown.

"If you think your shutdown is a joke, it just proves what we all know: You can’t negotiate. You can only throw tantrums," Schumer said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom quickly stressed that if a government shutdown occurs, the responsibility lies with the Republicans. "Republicans have control of the House, Senate, and White House. If the government shuts down, it’s on them," Newsom posted on his X account.

Although Newsom is correct that Republicans control the House and Senate, they still need Democratic support to prevent a shutdown, since the Senate requires 60 votes to pass legislation. With 53 Republican senators, at least seven Democrats would need to join them.

Meanwhile, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries said that Democrats will not back down from their demands in the negotiations, accusing the government of being "intolerant."

"Bigotry will get you nowhere. Cancel the Cuts. Lower the Cost. Save Healthcare. We are NOT backing down," Jeffries posted on social media.

Meanwhile, the White House and Republicans have pointed the finger at the Democrats, holding them responsible for a potential government shutdown. The White House also reminded the public of times when Democrats themselves warned that a shutdown would harm American lives.

"They said it, and now they want you to forget. A government shutdown would CRUSH hard working Americans. The truth speaks for itself," the White House posted, sharing a video featuring statements from several Democrats on the issue.

Earlier Tuesday, the administration stressed that time is running out and that Democrats are making no progress in negotiations to prevent a shutdown. "24 hours until the Democrat shutdown. Time starts now," it warned.

The exchange between the White House and Democrats intensified after a meeting between President Donald Trump and congressional leaders failed to raise expectations of progress on the government shutdown. If lawmakers do not reach a deal by midnight Tuesday—which now seems unlikely—the federal government will shut down indefinitely.

The Democrats’ demand is clear: extend health insurance subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. Meanwhile, the Republicans propose passing a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government running until November 21.

"I think we're headed for a shutdown"

Amid the standoff, Vice President JD Vance said he believes the Democrats will not help prevent a government shutdown.

"I think we’re heading to a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing. I hope they change their mind, but we’re going to see," Vance said as he left the negotiating meeting.

"We have disagreements about tax policy, but you don’t shut the government down. We have disagreements about healthcare policy, but you don’t shut the government down. You don’t say the fact that you disagree about a particular tax provision is an excuse for shutting down the people’s government and all the essential services that come along with it," the vice president added.