'They were winning!' Charlie Kirk host stunned as Dems cave on shutdown

The decision by some Democrats to embrace a deal to end a government shutdown without a guarantee of extending health care subsidies shocked conservative Charlie Kirk Show host Andrew Kolvet.

"They feel like they had all this momentum in New Jersey, Virginia," Kolvet told conservative pundit Ryan Girdusky on Monday. "So why concede any points? Why give in? Why open the government back up?"

Girdusky pointed out that Democrats would have the opportunity to shut down the government again in January if Republicans did not follow through on funding subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.

"It feels almost like they're snatching defeat from the jaws of victory here because they were winning the messaging war," Kolvet observed. "They had convinced a large percentage of at least their electorate, but maybe some squishy middle, that we were just wanting to starve little kids and take health care away from Americans."

"They were sort of winning on that," he added. "And now they freak out over reopening the government because they were never going to have the votes."

"And I think their reaction is giving Trump and the Republicans the upper hand here."