A MAGA voter told BBC that he was put in a tough spot with the federal shutdown — and that he's frustrated by the president's conduct.
"The last shutdown was brutal," he told reporters, referring to the monthlong shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019 triggered by President Donald Trump's demand for additional border wall funding. "It forced me to withdraw money from my retirement plan just to cover my bills. Now, they've made it more difficult to withdraw from our retirement accounts, so if this goes as long as the last shutdown, I don't know how I'm going to pay my bills."
"I voted for Trump, but I did not vote for his abuses against us," he added.
The current shutdown was triggered when Democrats demanded an extension of insurance subsidies that keep Affordable Care Act policies stable for millions of Americans, as a condition to provide the votes to keep the government open. President Donald Trump and GOP leadership have steadfastly refused to compromise on the issue.
Trump and several Republicans have further falsely claimed that Democrats are demanding health coverage for illegal immigrants, with some administration officials even opening the door to carving immigrants out of a critical Reagan-era federal law that requires hospital emergency rooms to treat anyone in need, regardless of ability to pay.
In addition to this worker, several others made clear to the BBC that they resolutely support the shutdown until Republicans agree to prevent health care cuts.
"I strongly implore Democrats to stand firm and not cave to the continued assault on healthcare and affordability for everyday Americans," said one worker at the Department of Transportation, vowing to support this no matter how much it jeopardizes her own job.