White House Grows Frustrated as Trump Approval Falls and Democrats Refuse to Cave on Government Shutdown
White House frustrated as Trump's approval drops to 37% while Democrats refuse to budge on record-long government shutdown.
By Aaron Parnas•November 3, 2025•7 min read
Congress
Good morning, everyone. Today I’m tracking several major developments, including the Trump administration’s mounting frustration as Democrats refuse to back down on the government shutdown, and a controversial plan that could put American boots on the ground in Mexico.
Meanwhile, what I uncovered from last night’s 60 Minutes interview is even more alarming. I reviewed the entire transcript, and what CBS chose not to air is shocking.
President Trump and his aides initially believed the government shutdown would be brief, expecting Democrats to fold within 10 days. Confident they held the upper hand, the White House underestimated the Democrats’ resolve — a miscalculation that has left Trump increasingly frustrated as the shutdown drags into its second month.
Overnight, Donald Trump doubled down on Republicans abolishing the filibuster, criticizing them for not doing so already:
As the government shutdown nears a record 35 days, Congress remains deadlocked with no deal in sight. Lawmakers acknowledge that President Trump’s influence continues to shape the standoff, his demand to scrap the Senate filibuster derailed emerging negotiations and hardened divisions.
A new CNN poll shows Democrats holding an early enthusiasm and turnout advantage ahead of the 2026 midterms as President Trump’s approval rating drops to 37%, his lowest of the second term. Widespread dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy, government shutdown, and use of presidential power has fueled voter frustration, with most Americans saying the country is headed in the wrong direction.
President Trump has no public events scheduled today but will participate in two virtual campaign events for the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia as he seeks to boost Republican candidates. On Truth Social, he criticized Democratic contenders Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, touting lower gas prices and “common sense” policies under his leadership while attacking Democrats on crime, energy costs, and transgender rights.
President Trump is reportedly preparing to send Deputy Attorney General Michael Gates to Southern California to “monitor” the upcoming Proposition 50 election, raising alarm among election law experts and voting rights advocates. Gates’ history of partisan activism, lawsuits against election officials, and opposition to voting rights protections has led to widespread concern about his ability to act impartially. I exclusively reported this for MeidasTouch.
The Trump administration is planning a potential covert mission to deploy U.S. special operations troops and CIA officers into Mexico to target drug cartel leaders and labs with drone strikes. This would mark a significant shift toward direct U.S. military action on Mexican soil, though no final decision has been made and deployment is not yet imminent.
Pennsylvania voters will decide whether to retain three Democratic Supreme Court justices in a high-stakes election that could leave the court deadlocked if they are removed. Justice David Wecht warned that losing all three seats would be “disastrous,” potentially paralyzing the court and undermining its ability to set statewide legal precedent amid intense partisan pressure.
A federal judge extended an order blocking the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard to Oregon until Nov. 7, finding no credible evidence of rebellion or widespread violence in Portland and suggesting she will likely rule in favor of Oregon, California, and Portland that the deployment is unlawful.
President Trump expressed sympathy for the British royal family amid the fallout from Prince Andrew’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, calling the situation “tragic” and saying he feels “badly” for them. His comments came after King Charles III stripped Andrew of his royal titles, while U.K. and U.S. officials continue to press for further accountability in the ongoing scandal.
A new Oxfam America report found that the top 10 U.S. billionaires increased their collective wealth by $698 billion over the past year, warning that Trump administration tax policies are accelerating inequality to record levels. The report also criticized both major parties for decades of choices—such as tax cuts, weakened labor protections, and reduced social safety nets—that have deepened the nation’s wealth gap and left nearly half of U.S. children in low-income households.
Donald Trump said in a “60 Minutes” interview that he plans to “be involved” in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial “to help him out a little bit,” signaling another unprecedented intervention in Israel’s judicial affairs. The remarks follow Trump’s earlier call for Israel’s president to pardon Netanyahu and his public efforts to boost the embattled leader during Gaza peace talks, deepening his direct involvement in the country’s internal politics.
Ukraine’s military has expanded a video game-style “Army of Drones Bonus System” that rewards drone operators with points for confirmed strikes, which can be exchanged for new weapons and equipment. The system, credited with killing or wounding 18,000 Russian soldiers in September, has grown into a major innovation in modern warfare—turning battlefield data into performance metrics—while raising ethical questions about the gamification of lethal combat.
During a moment at the APEC summit in South Korea, Chinese President Xi Jinping joked with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung about potential “backdoors” in Xiaomi smartphones he had gifted, after Lee quipped about their security.
Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, the mayor of Uruapan in Mexico’s Michoacan state, was shot and killed during Day of the Dead celebrations in front of dozens of people. Authorities say the attack, linked to cartel-related violence, also injured a council member and bodyguard and has sparked public outrage and protests demanding justice.
Scientists in Mexico captured rare footage of orcas hunting young great white sharks, flipping them onto their backs to stun them before slicing them open and eating their livers. The behavior, documented in a new study, shows that orcas in different regions have independently developed specialized hunting techniques to target sharks, revealing a surprising predator-prey dynamic at the top of the ocean’s food chain.
Kimberly-Clark announced it will acquire Tylenol maker Kenvue in a $48.7 billion cash-and-stock deal, creating one of the largest U.S. consumer health companies. The merger combines major brands like Huggies, Kleenex, and Neutrogena, while Kenvue faces ongoing scrutiny and litigation following President Trump’s comments linking Tylenol to autism.
Rapper RBX filed a federal class-action lawsuit accusing Spotify of allowing fraudulent bot-generated streams that allegedly inflated plays of Drake’s music, harming other artists’ earnings. The suit claims Spotify profited from the fake activity by boosting ad revenue and shareholder value, while legitimate musicians lost hundreds of millions in royalties.
Goli Kouhkan, a 25-year-old Iranian woman and former child bride, faces execution unless she can pay £80,000 in “blood money” to the family of her abusive husband, whom she was convicted of killing at age 18. Her case has drawn outrage from human rights groups, highlighting Iran’s systemic discrimination against women and minorities, its rising number of executions, and the lack of legal protections for victims of forced and abusive marriages.
