Democratic lawmakers have a strong opportunity to come out on top in the ongoing government shutdown, argued political commentator and columnist Michael Tomasky in an analysis published Monday in The New Republic — but only “if they’re willing to use it.”

“If the Democrats stick together, they can win this and make [President Donald] Trump cave,” Tomasky wrote. “The Democrats have three cards to play here that give them a strong hand, if they’re willing to use it.”

The most-recent government shutdown lasted 35 days — kicking off in late 2018 and maintaining the title of the longest in United States’ history — and was sparked by Trump’s demands over border wall funding. Trump ultimately caved in that fight and did not secure funding.

The previous shutdown, however, was during a time when Democrats retook a majority in the House. Today, Democrats are a minority in both chambers of Congress but, as Tomasky argues, they have three powerful tools at their disposal.

“First, keep hammering away on healthcare premiums,” Tomasky writes. “It’s working. Granted, it’s a relatively small number of people on these healthcare exchanges — 21.4 million. But they’re exactly the people the Democrats need to stand up for and show that they’re representing their interests.”

Republicans’ refusal to fund extensions of Affordable Care Act subsidies was a core component in the ongoing government shutdown, but polling data suggests Democrats have a winning argument on the matter. Not only did voters overwhelmingly support extending the subsidies by a rate of 78% to 22%, but even self-described “MAGA supporters” backed extending the subsidies by a rate of 57% to 43%.

Tomasky also argued that it would be a “huge political gift for Democrats” should the Trump administration make good on its pledge to further purge federal workers amid the shutdown, another matter that Republicans are underwater on among voters.

And third, Tomasky wrote that Democrats were well-positioned to connect the chaos of the second Trump administration directly to the ongoing shutdown, which polls also suggest will be a winning stance.

“[Voters] surely know by now, after watching this horror show for eight months, that Trump sows chaos,” Tomasky wrote. “Well, a long shutdown is the definition of chaos. If Democrats just say over and over and over again that ‘this chaos is brought to you by Donald Trump, who creates chaos everywhere he goes,’ that should resonate.”

President Donald Trump has purged dozens of judges as part of his sweeping changes to immigration policy.

Since Trump returned to office in January, 139 immigration judges have been fired, taken an early-out offer or been involuntarily transferred, according to the National Association of Immigration Judges — with 24 dismissed last month alone, reported CNN.

“The dismissal of more immigration judges is an illogical and costly setback for the nation’s immigration courts,” said International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers President Matt Biggs in a statement. “At a time when the backlog has reached historic levels and the administration has made immigration enforcement a central issue, the removal of experienced judges is hypocritical, undermines the law, wastes taxpayer dollars, and further delays justice for citizens and immigrants alike.”

Immigration courts are overseen by the executive branch within the Justice Department, unlike federal courts, so the administration does have tremendous influence over the system. But experts say Trump's purge is like nothing they've seen before.

“You cannot look at this in a vacuum," said Ashley Tabaddor, who served as an immigration judge for 15 years. "This is part and parcel of a very, very grand scheme of creating a very frictionless deportation machine."

Trump's appointees at DOJ started the removals at the beginning of his presidency by abruptly removing senior leadership at the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees the nation’s immigration courts. At least 30 of the judges dismissed had granted more than 30 percent of asylum claims that came before them.

“I believe the Trump administration can’t stand people who play by the rules,” said Shira Levine, who was dismissed after four years as an immigration judge. “My concerns are for the rule of law in this country. In terms of my own personal circumstances, I walked out of that courtroom with great pride, knowing I had done my very best to uphold rule of law and provide fair and full hearings.”

Chloe Dillon told CNN she was abruptly terminated in August by email during the middle of hearing a case.

“The immigration courts are being dismantled," Dillon said. "They are firing judges at an extremely rapid pace. I think it’s fair to say that every judge sitting on a bench thinks they may be or likely will be fired.”

The Justice Department eliminated some requirements for temporary immigration judges to allow any attorney to serve in the role, and the administration has tried to enlist military lawyers, but former immigration judges are concerned they won't have proper training.

“Immigration law is complex,” said a former senior military lawyer. “Yes, I think every judge advocate in the JAG corps could figure it out, because it’s got amazing people, but they all have day jobs too.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) lashed out at the NFL's decision to have Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny perform at the Super Bowl halftime show by calling on Congress to make English the official language of the United States.

"Bad Bunny says America has 4 months to learn Spanish before his perverse unwanted performance at the Super Bowl halftime," Greene complained Monday in a post on X. "It would be a good time to pass my bill to make English the official language of America."

"And the NFL needs to stop having demonic sexual performances during its halftime shows," she added, without giving any detail about what she meant.

In March, President Donald Trump claimed to have established English as the official language of the United States by signing an executive order, which does not have the force of law.