Washington might be closed, but Trump’s brand of governance remains gloriously open for business
or most presidents, a government shutdown means canceled plans and gridlock. For Donald Trump, it’s an opportunity to spend more time on what he truly enjoys. While the bureaucracy went dark, he kept the spotlight squarely on himself, mediating wars over lunch and pitching arches over dinner. The message was clear: Washington might be closed, but Trump’s brand of governance remains gloriously open for business.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky sat down with President Donald J. Trump in the Cabinet Room this past week for what had been billed as a “working lunch.” Both men came hungry — Trump for credit and Zelensky for Tomahawk missiles, though only one would leave satisfied.
The night before, Zelensky had checked into Blair House, the White House’s official guest residence. Meanwhile, security was tighter than a Mar-a-Lago nondisclosure agreement, with entire streets sealed off.
It was Zelensky ’s first time staying there during the Trump era, a detail that fueled speculation that the accommodation upgrade might come with a softer tone than their more combustible encounters earlier this year. Optimism would prove premature.
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