FALSE
Published November 9, 2025

Fact-Check Analysis

Original Claim

"Republicans shut down the government 39 days ago."
The Democrats
November 9, 2025

Our Analysis

The claim that 'Republicans shut down the government 39 days ago' is factually incorrect and misleading. Official records show the 2025 government shutdown began at midnight on September 30, 2025, due to the expiration of government funding without a new appropriations bill. As of November 9, 2025, the shutdown has lasted 40 days, not 39. Furthermore, both House Republicans and Democrats proposed budget resolutions, but both were voted down in the Senate, meaning neither party's plan passed. There is no verifiable evidence that Republicans alone 'shut down' the government; the shutdown resulted from a failure of both parties to reach an agreement. Blaming Republicans exclusively ignores the documented bipartisan failure to pass a funding bill. This is supported by official congressional records and multiple news sources. The claim is therefore FALSE.

Perplexity AI Analysis

The claim that 'Republicans shut down the government 39 days ago' is factually incorrect and misleading. Official records show the 2025 government shutdown began at midnight on September 30, 2025, due to the expiration of government funding without a new appropriations bill. As of November 9, 2025, the shutdown has lasted 40 days, not 39. Furthermore, both House Republicans and Democrats proposed budget resolutions, but both were voted down in the Senate, meaning neither party's plan passed. There is no verifiable evidence that Republicans alone 'shut down' the government; the shutdown resulted from a failure of both parties to reach an agreement. Blaming Republicans exclusively ignores the documented bipartisan failure to pass a funding bill. This is supported by official congressional records and multiple news sources. The claim is therefore FALSE.

Sources & Citations

USAFacts

2025-11-05

"The shutdown started when the previous budget expired at the onset of the fiscal year on October 1. Congress has been unable to pass a continuing resolution to reopen operations."

View Source →

Congressman Greg Stanton

2025-10-01

"Government funding expired at midnight on September 30, 2025. Ahead of this deadline, House Democrats tried to negotiate a bipartisan continuation of government funding with the Trump Administration."

View Source →

Legal References

Antideficiency Act

law

Federal law requiring agencies to cease operations when appropriations lapse.

Read Full Text →

Historical Context

2025 Government Shutdown

2025-09-30

Federal government funding expired at midnight, leading to a shutdown due to lack of agreement on appropriations.

Source: USAFactsView Details →

Past Contradictory Statements

Democrats have previously blamed shutdowns on bipartisan gridlock, not solely on Republicans. For example, during the 2018-2019 shutdown, Democratic leaders cited 'Republican refusal to compromise' but also acknowledged the need for bipartisan solutions (see statements from Speaker Pelosi, January 2019).

Share This Fact-Check

Pre-generated social posts:

Twitter:

FACT CHECK: Democrats claim 'Republicans shut down the government 39 days ago.' FALSE. Both parties failed to pass funding. Shutdown began 40 days ago due to bipartisan gridlock. #TheyLied #FactCheck

Facebook:

🚨 FACT CHECK: The claim that 'Republicans shut down the government 39 days ago' is FALSE. The 2025 shutdown began 40 days ago, and BOTH parties failed to pass a funding bill. Official records show that both Republican and Democratic proposals were rejected in the Senate, making this a bipartisan failure—not a Republican-only action. Don't let partisan spin rewrite history. #TheyLied #GovernmentShutdown #FactCheck

Editorial Notes

AI Provider: Perplexity AI (Backup)