Ezra Klein Warns Democrats Not to Fold: ‘They’re Winning This Shutdown’

Colby Hall Nov 10th, 2025, 10:41 am

olumnist Ezra Klein sharply criticized Senate Democrats on Monday for considering a deal to reopen the federal government, arguing the party is squandering rare leverage at the precise moment it holds the upper hand.

Klein writes that Democrats began the shutdown with an unusually strong case — and a rare moral frame. The stated purpose was to resist President Donald Trump’s authoritarian behavior, not simply to secure a year-long extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. But as the standoff dragged on and internal pressure mounted, the party narrowed its goals to a technocratic concession that Klein says fails to match the stakes.

Klein’s column carries particular w

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