Federal Agencies Accused of Politicizing Websites, Blaming Democrats Amid Government Shutdown

Following a recent government shutdown, several federal agencies are facing scrutiny for allegedly using their official websites and social media platforms to launch political attacks. These agencies reportedly assigned blame directly to Democrats for the interruption of services, thereby injecting partisan politics into what is typically a nonpartisan government bureaucracy.

Echoing familiar Republican talking points, major departments including the Treasury, Health, State, and Agriculture prominently displayed banner messages on their official websites and social media accounts. These messages explicitly stated that the shutdown was caused by Democrats or the “radical left.” Furthermore, some banners asserted that “President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people,” aligning with the administration’s stance.

Beyond public-facing websites, Trump administration officials reportedly directed employees at the Department of Labor, including those deemed essential and continuing to work, to include a partisan message in their automated out-of-office email replies. This directive included template language from the White House budget office, which utilized a pejorative shortening of “Democratic Party,” explicitly attacking “Democrat Senators” for their role in the funding impasse.

This deployment of government platforms for partisan messaging represents a significant departure from standard practice for federal agencies and their typically apolitical workforces. Experts in federal employment suggest that these actions could constitute a violation of the Hatch Act. This crucial law is designed to shield the federal workforce from political influence and coercion, although the Trump administration has reportedly worked to weaken its enforcement in recent times.

While the overall strategy was to assign blame, the specific messaging varied across departments and even within individual agencies. For instance, the shutdown notice on the Defense Department’s website initially made no direct reference to Democrats. It simply stated that troops would not receive pay until funding was “passed by Congress and signed into law.” However, some Defense Department officials reportedly used social media to blame Senator Chuck Schumer, the leading Democrat in the Senate, for the shutdown, echoing earlier remarks from Vice President JD Vance and asserting that troop pay was withheld due to Democrats.