Can President Trump pull off his own particular “art of the deal” yet again to get what he wants?

If the Democrats have anything to say about it, probably not. But the president’s offer could box them into a position that leaves them holding the bag.

Anyone who has been traveling via airplanes recently knows the insanity that has taken over airports. TSA lines are growing exponentially as workers go unpaid – and spring break travel is about to begin. Elon Musk has offered to pay the salaries of those TSA workers, but even if that is accepted, it cannot be a permanent solution. Senator John Kennedy has been pushing a resolution that would withhold paychecks from senators anytime there is a government shutdown, and he put it forward again on Sunday, only to see Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii object, and then literally run off like he was Brave Sir Robin and needed to change his pants.

Confusion hit Capitol Hill on Sunday when Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) proposed a resolution that would block senators from receiving paychecks during the ongoing partial government shutdown — and all future shutdowns.

His resolution was met with a swift objection from Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), who apparently scrambled out of the U.S. Capitol immediately after. The rest of the lawmakers looked perplexed by his dash, with the C-SPAN feed capturing a grip of senators turning their heads to watch him leave the building.

Kennedy looked especially baffled by the abrupt exit.

“With respect, I want to give my colleague Senator Schatz more time. He objected and left the chamber. Is he coming back?!” Kennedy asked. “Is he ill? What should I do?”

No one had an answer for him. Kennedy turned his left palm upward and held it there off-and-on for several minutes.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) then asked whether it was kosher for a senator to object and then “run out.”

“An objection was raised and an objection was heard,” Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) said.

To put it mildly, Senator Kennedy was furious.
https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2035783984588771472
This entire episode illustrates the kind of shenanigans that Democrats are engaging in to hold up the Senate. Does any Democrat have a defense against Senator Kennedy’s resolution, or Senator Schatz’s cowardice? In the meantime, the TSA goes unpaid, and is still expected to keep working – not to mention the Coast Guard and FEMA. And even the media has had to admit that yes, it is Democrats who are holding up the show. Well, President Trump is putting a possible deal up on Truth Social, that would give the Democrats a partial win on optics, while still getting what he wants.

This proposal has some merits, and some big problems. President Trump is once again pushing to kill the filibuster, which he has been advocating, but Republicans know it is a double-edged sword. The only question is, which side is going to grab it and cut first. The president wants the Republicans to get a hold of it first, obviously. But look at what he is offering in order to move the SAVE America Act through the Senate – a $5 billion cut in ICE funding. Now, anyone who is paying attention knows that ICE is funded through 2029, and there are no details in this offer. Does President Trump think this will be a rescission, or a cut to future spending after 2029? My guess is the latter. Will that be enough for the Democrats to claim victory? My guess is no, especially if it means they will have to swallow the SAVE America Act at the same time.

But this now puts Democrats in a quandary. They are desperate to save face, especially as those TSA lines get longer and longer, and normal Americans begin to feel the consequences of this very targeted shutdown. And now President Trump has offered them a $5 billion cut. If they don’t take it, then Trump gets to walk away from the table and say that he offered a compromise, but Democrats refused. Can they survive the optics of that refusal? Rolling the SAVE America Act into the same bill as DHS funding is probably a non-starter, mostly because it would require the House to come back and pass everything again as one huge omnibus bill. Still, if a version of the SAVE America Act gets passed before a compromise DHS funding bill, President Trump is going to be able to claim a win. Democrats are now stuck. They have to find a way to restore the DHS funding while saving face on the ICE funding, but the cost might be allowing a vote on the SAVE America Act.

If the Senate Republicans hold firm, President Trump may have just boxed in the Democrats. They’re going to have to decide which optics are worse for them, and running away like Senator Brian Schatz isn’t going to be an option.

Featured image: President Donald Trump on September 23, 2025, official White House Photo by Daniel Torok, cropped, public domain