Summary
NPR reports that the Trump administration directed all federal agencies to post partisan messages blaming Democrats for the government shutdown on their official websites, in internal emails to employees, and even in out-of-office auto-replies. Ethics experts say it may violate the Hatch Act. White House OMB directed the messaging campaign.
Key Points
- HUD website posted red banner: “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government”
- DOJ websites: banner reading “Democrats have shut down the government”
- SBA: emailed employees “suggested” language for out-of-office replies blaming “Senate Democrats” for the shutdown — sent from generic email that doesn’t accept replies
- OMB sent partisan language to Interior, Commerce, Labor, State, Treasury, Justice, Agriculture, HHS, SSA, GSA, NOAA, SEC, OPM, NLRB; all agencies confirmed receiving guidance
- VA: “Radical liberals in Congress are trying to shut down the government to achieve their crazy fantasy of open borders, ‘transgender’ for everybody and men competing in women’s sports”
- SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano sent the email personally; staffer said “it basically read like a campaign email”
- Ethics experts: may violate Hatch Act (prohibits political activity by civil servants on duty); but enforcement now gutted under Trump
- One federal worker (anonymous): “We just all accept that the Hatch Act is null and void. Nothing matters.”
- Compare to 2013 Obama shutdown letter: thanked federal employees, criticized Congress without naming Republicans
Newsletter Angles
- This is government propaganda infrastructure being built in real time: official agency websites converted into partisan message boards using taxpayer funds. The Hatch Act as an institution has been functionally abolished
- The anonymous employee’s quote — “We just all accept that the Hatch Act is null and void” — is a perfect encapsulation of what institutional capture feels like from the inside
Entities Mentioned
- Donald Trump — administration directing the messaging campaign
- Russell Vought — OMB director who sent the partisan guidance to agencies
Concepts Mentioned
- Regulatory Weaponization — using government machinery for partisan political purposes
- Institutional Gaslighting — official channels spreading partisan claims as neutral government communication
Quotes
“We just all accept that the Hatch Act is null and void. Nothing matters.” — anonymous federal worker
Notes
NPR. September 30, 2025. First day of the government shutdown. Strong documentation of Hatch Act potential violation with multiple agency sources.