• Trump says shutdown “a big factor” behind GOP setbacks.
• Longest govt shutdown enters sixth week amid political standoff.
• Airports, welfare programs face mounting strain amid shutdown.
  

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday acknowledged that Democrats’ sweeping electoral gains signalled mounting trouble for Republicans, calling the results “not good” and linking the setbacks to the record-long federal government shutdown, now stretching into its sixth week. 

His remarks came hours after Democratic candidates Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill scored commanding gubernatorial wins in Virginia and New Jersey, while Zohran Mamdani easily defeated Trump-backed Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race. 

In Virginia, Democrat Jay Jones also won the attorney general race, overcoming a scandal from 2022.

Trump made the statement while addressing GOP senators at a White House breakfast on Wednesday morning. Trump reflected on the outcome, saying it had not been a positive night for anyone.

The US president said: “We had an interesting evening, and we learned a lot, and we’re going to talk about that,” CNBC reported.

He attributed the Republican setbacks partly to the prolonged government shutdown, citing pollsters who found it “a big factor, negative for the Republicans”. Trump added that some analysts viewed his absence from the ballot as the biggest factor.

Trump accused Democrats of being prepared to destroy the country as the government shutdown became the longest in history on Wednesday, eclipsing the 35-day record set during the Republican leader’s first term.

Federal agencies have been grinding to a halt since Congress failed to approve funding past September 30, and the pain has been mounting as welfare programs — including aid that helps millions of Americans afford groceries — hang in the balance.

Some 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to park wardens, remain on enforced leave or are working without pay. Some courts are using emergency funds to stay open, and warning that operations could slow if the shutdown drags on.

Hours before the shutdown record toppled at midnight, the Trump administration sounded the alarm over turmoil at airports nationwide if the crisis drags further into November, with worsening staff shortages snarling airports and closing down sections of airspace.

Thanksgiving air travel is expected to set a new record this year, the American Automobile Association (AAA) projected — with 5.8 million people set to fly domestically over the November 27 holiday.

More than 60,000 air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are working without pay, and the White House has warned that increased absenteeism could mean chaos at check-in lines.

Airport workers calling in sick rather than working without pay — leading to significant delays — was a major factor in Trump bringing an end to the 2019 shutdown.

Both Democrats and Republicans remain unwavering, however, over the main sticking point in the current stoppage — health care spending.

‘Defiance’

Democrats say they will only provide votes to end the funding lapse after a deal has been struck to extend expiring insurance subsidies that make health care affordable for millions of Americans.

But Republicans insist they will only address health care once Democrats have voted to switch the lights back on in Washington.

While both sides’ leadership have shown little appetite for compromise, there have been signs of life on the back benches, with a handful of moderate Democrats working to find an escape hatch.

A separate bipartisan group of four centrist House members unveiled a compromise framework Monday for lowering health insurance costs.

Democrats believe that millions of Americans seeing skyrocketing premiums as they enroll in health insurance programs for next year will pressure Republicans into seeking compromise.

But Trump has held firm on refusing to negotiate, telling CBS News in an interview broadcast Sunday that he would “not be extorted.”

The president has sought to apply his own pressure to force Democrats to cave by threatening mass layoffs of federal workers and using the shutdown to target progressive priorities.

Trump on Tuesday repeated his administration’s threat to cut off a vital aid programme that helps 42 million Americans pay for groceries for the first time in its more than 60-year history, even though the move was blocked by two courts.

The White House later clarified, however, that it was “fully complying” with its legal obligations and was working to get partial SNAP payments “out the door as much as we can and as quickly as we can.”

Who would have thought that a boy from Uganda would become the New York mayor one day? Zohran Mamdani — a 34-year-old democratic socialist — shocked everyone and became the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of the biggest city in the United States.

Mamdani was virtually unknown before his upset victory to secure the Democratic nomination over former governor Andrew Cuomo, whom he trounced again on Tuesday.

Unlike his opponents, Mamdani focused on reducing living costs for ordinary New Yorkers, building support through his informal personal style and social-media-friendly clips of him walking the streets chatting with voters.

The son of a filmmaker mother and a scholar father, he arrived in New York at the age of seven. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and later earned a degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College, where he co-founded the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.

The mock-election

He was only twelve when he won his first election. Yes, his first — a mock mayoral election at Bank Street School for Children.

The mock election was meant for eighth-graders. Mamdani, who was in seventh grade at that time, asked the school to participate as a third-party. And when the results were announced, Mamdani wiped out the field.

Footballer and rapper

Mamdani’s childhood was a blend of train rides, football fandom, rapping, and political debates.

Before entering politics, he worked as a housing counsellor, helping low-income homeowners in Queens fight eviction.

The love life

Mamdani and his wife, 27-year-old Syrian-American animator and illustrator Rama Duwaji, met on the dating app Hinge in 2021, whom he credits with helping him “to better use social media”.

The improbable campaign

Inspired by Bernie Sanders to become a socialist, Mamdani began his mayoral campaign with a fresh perspective.

Along with in-person campaigning, he used social media platforms to build support through his informal personal style and friendly clips of him walking the streets chatting with voters.

The vote

On Election Day, Mamdani stood outside a polling station in Queens — the same borough whose tenants he once defended — and cast the vote that could make him the first Muslim mayor of New York City.

And finally, Mamdani, capping a meteoric rise from a little-known state lawmaker to one of the country’s most visible Democratic figures, won the New York City mayoral race. 

The world beyond New York joined New Yorkers in celebration on Wednesday, as Zohran Mamdani’s historic mayoral campaign culminated in a resounding victory.

The 34-year-old democratic socialist made history by becoming the first Muslim mayor of the largest US city, defeating Democratic former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Throughout his campaign, Mamdani faced harsh criticism from conservative media commentators and also from US President Donald Trump over his policies and Muslim heritage.

However, the fierce attacks on the young lawmaker appeared to have little impact on New Yorkers’ spirits, who erupted in celebration after he was declared mayor.

Prominent politicians from beyond the city, including former US President Bill Clinton, were among those who joined New Yorkers in their celebrations.

Taking to X, Clinton congratulated Mamdani on his victory, while wishing for his success in “building a better, fairer, more affordable New York”.

“Congratulations [Zohran Mamdani] on your election as the next Mayor of New York City. I’m wishing you success as you work to transform the passion of your campaign into building a better, fairer, more affordable New York,” the former US president wrote.

British politician Jeremy Corbyn, who is Member of Parliament for Islington North, credited Mamdani for igniting “a grassroots campaign.

“This is a seismic victory — not only for the people of New York, but for all those who believe that humanity and hope can prevail,” he wrote in his post on X.

California Governor Gavin Newsom termed the election result a “message to Donald Trump” that there will be “no crowns, no thrones, no kings”.

“Tonight, after poking the bear, this bear roared with an unprecedented turnout in a special election with an extraordinary result,” he said.

Mamdani’s election campaign and his triumph in the polls appeared to have also inspired other politicians to follow his footsteps.

Zack Polanski, leader of England’s Green Party, vowed to adopt “the same relentless focus on inequality” as Mamdani had, as per a report by BBC.

The victory also triggered hope for a political shift in Uganda, where Mamdani was born.

Joel Ssenyonyi, the opposition leader in the Ugandan Parliament, said that the Democratic socialist’s victory proved that an “inspiring political shift” was also possible in his home country, The Washington Post reported.