The deadlock in Congress over the government shutdown continued into its third day, with no signs that the impasse would change anytime soon.

The Senate adjourned on Thursday in observance of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Republicans and Democrats spent the absence crafting their messaging in a war of words, seeking to pin blame for the shutdown on the other party to force them to blink. Neither has landed a decisive blow thus far.

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The Senate is set to vote on Friday, but most analysts don’t expect a breakthrough. Republicans need 60 Senate votes to overcome the filibuster. Originally, members expected votes through the weekend, but now if there is no success on Friday, there isn’t expected to be another vote until Monday.

The government was shut down after a Monday meeting at the White House between House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and President Donald Trump ended without an agreement. The main area of contention was Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire in December. Democrats demanded Republicans strike a deal to extend them, while Republicans argued the move would provide healthcare for illegal immigrants.

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The messaging battle has revolved around these two points, with Democrats claiming Republicans shut down the government to strip people of healthcare, and Republicans claiming the Democrats’ proposal to extend the subsidies would provide healthcare to illegal immigrants.

Schumer’s grip on his caucus isn’t completely ironclad, as illustrated by a growing number of defectors in the last continuing resolution vote. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Angus King (I-ME), and John Fetterman (D-PA) voted in favor of the GOP stopgap funding bill, joining nearly all Republicans. The one exception was Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who voted with most Democrats.

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) are inclined to switch their votes as the shutdown drags on. Both have announced their retirement, so they are immune to primary retaliation.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) has also been less than enthusiastic. He called the Monday White House meeting “an opportunity that was missed” and lamented that there weren’t follow-up plans for another one. He declined to place blame squarely on anyone, casting a wide net of blame instead.

Trump continued his taunting of Democrats into the night on Thursday. He’s leaned into his greatest piece of leverage — Office of Budget Management Director Russell Vought’s ability to cut government programs and staff permanently without oversight. The president posted a meme video on Truth Social portraying Vought as “the Reaper,” with parody song lyrics to Blue Oyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.”

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“Russ Vought is the reaper / he wields the pen, the funds, and the brain,” the song said.

Trump met with Vought earlier on Thursday, threatening Democrats with cuts in a Truth Social post announcing the meeting.

“I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent,” he said.

“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump added.

With most of Congress absent, the real battles over the government shutdown unfolded on social media and in the press. Democrats and Republicans posted competing meme edits and videos, often striking a nerve. Jeffries was particularly offended by a video posted by Trump on Truth Social, showing an AI video depicting him with a mustache and sombrero. At the same time, Schumer bemoans their loss of minority voters in profane language. Jeffries decried the video as “racist” and “bigoted,” then demanded that Trump make any further criticisms “to my face.”

Johnson urged Jeffries to lighten up over the jostling.

SHUTDOWN FIGHT: LEFT-WING DEMOCRATS TAKE A TEA PARTY TURN

“To my friend Hakeem: Man, just ignore it,” he told reporters Thursday. “Gavin Newsom was trolling me last night. He painted me like a minion … I thought it was hilarious.”

The Democrats’ X account posted a video of politicians depicted as cats, presenting the Democratic view on events. The Trump cat was quickly embraced and appropriated by Republicans.