Karl Rove says these 3 factors will determine who pays a 'political price' for shutdown

GOP strategist Karl Rove said Wednesday the most significant loser if a government shutdown unfolds will not be a party but public faith in Washington.

In a Wall Street Journal column, Rove described how Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump's administration are pushing to pass a continuing resolution to maintain federal funding, while Democrats insist it must include Affordable Care Act subsidies.

“If Americans get stuck with a shutdown that drags on, there will be a cost. But which party will pay the political price?” Rove asked, then added: “History gives us an idea.”

He reviewed past shutdowns, identifying three factors that he believes will shape outcomes: which side gets its way and appears stronger, which party makes a more effective case to voters and whether other issues emerge as more prominent before the midterms.

“But no matter what, the biggest shutdown loser will likely be public trust in Washington writ large,” he concluded. “Voters see shutdowns as the result of gross incompetence by our leaders ... Washington’s inability to get its fiscal house in order is a big reason why.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump canceled Tuesday a meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the Democrats’ demands were “unserious and ridiculous” and that a meeting “could possibly be productive” only if they accepted principles laid out in his letter.

“To the Leaders of the Democrat Party, the ball is in your court. I look forward to meeting with you when you become realistic about the things that our Country stands for. DO THE RIGHT THING!” he wrote.

The cancellation marked another escalation in a standoff that could precipitate a partial shutdown as early as October 1.

In response, Schumer accused Trump of “running away from the negotiating table,” and Jeffries said Trump had “chickened out.”

With no meeting imminent, the fate of a funding deal now depends on whether Congress passes a resolution acceptable to both sides before the current budget expires.