The fate of America’s government hangs in the balance as Congress races to prevent a shutdown, but serious questions are emerging about who’s actually running the executive branch during this critical moment.

With less than 12 hours until funding expires, Democratic lawmakers themselves are acknowledging an unprecedented leadership vacuum at the highest levels of government.

“This is ridiculous,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) admitted Thursday, as negotiations spiraled into chaos on Capitol Hill. “We negotiated it and they walked away from it because a shadow president billionaire suddenly decided he wants to shut down the government.”

The congresswoman’s frustrated reference to Elon Musk’s intervention highlights deeper concerns about proper constitutional order during this precarious transition period. But an even more troubling reality lurks beneath the surface.

Who’s Really Running America?

President Biden has been conspicuously absent from the high-stakes shutdown negotiations, with multiple House Democratic lawmakers confirming they haven’t heard from the commander-in-chief at all during the crisis. When pressed about Biden’s whereabouts, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly deflected, refusing to even confirm if the president would remain in Washington during a potential shutdown.

“I haven’t gotten any message from President Biden, or heard of anything that he’s saying,” admitted Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), one of several Democrats who spoke openly about the president’s absence. Even House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to confirm any direct contact with Biden, offering only the carefully parsed statement that he’s been in “close contact with the administration.”

This leadership void becomes even more concerning in light of newly revealed documents showing White House staff have been quietly managing presidential duties since noticing “stamina issues” early in Biden’s term. According to a bombshell Wall Street Journal report, several staff members observed concerning signs of decline within months of Biden taking office, yet chose to shield this information from the American people.

The president spent Wednesday entirely out of public view at his Delaware home, with the White House calling a “lid” on activities even as the shutdown countdown intensified. His public schedule for Thursday showed only a daily briefing, with no engagement on the funding crisis threatening millions of American workers and critical government services.

Clearly Not Joe: Trump’s in Charge

“It’s pretty obvious it is President Trump’s government at this time, and basically President Biden is no longer involved,” observed Sen. John Barrasso, the chamber’s No. 2 Republican. This stark assessment reflects a growing bipartisan recognition of the constitutional crisis currently unfolding.

Jean-Pierre’s attempt to spin Biden’s absence as “strategic” – claiming it allows Republicans to “own” any shutdown consequences – rings particularly hollow given the constitutional obligations of the presidency. The suggestion that political positioning takes precedence over active governance represents a dangerous departure from democratic norms.

Perhaps most alarming are Jean-Pierre’s admissions that a shutdown could “restrict” presidential transition activities, raising serious questions about the peaceful transfer of power that underpins American democracy. Rather than address these concerns directly, the White House appears content to blame Republicans while remaining disengaged from actual governance.

“Americans need to know that Republicans are getting in the way here, and they are the ones that are creating this mess,” Jean-Pierre insisted, though she pointedly refused to explain why the current president remains silent during what could become a constitutional crisis.

The situation sets a dangerous precedent for future transitions, effectively allowing unelected staff to manage critical government functions while an absent president runs out the clock. It raises profound questions about democratic accountability and constitutional order that transcend partisan politics.

As the shutdown deadline looms, Americans deserve more than staff-level deflections and partisan finger-pointing. They deserve a president who will fulfill his sworn constitutional duties until his last day in office, regardless of political convenience or personal preference. The alternative is accepting a shadow government that makes a mockery of our democratic institutions.

Key Takeaways:

• White House staff have been secretly managing presidential duties since early signs of decline.
• Democratic lawmakers openly acknowledge Biden’s complete absence during the shutdown crisis.
• Constitutional experts warn ofa  dangerous precedent for future presidential transitions.
• Unelected staffers make critical decisions while the elected president remains silent.

Sources: The Hill, Fox News, Politico