DC Daily Letter: Capitol Chaos Unraveled - September 25, 2025
Shutdown Threats, Comey Charges, and Obama’s Truth Bomb
September 25, 2025 | Washington, D.C.
Good morning from the marble halls of Capitol Hill, where the air is thick with the scent of stale coffee and impending deadlines. It’s another Thursday in the nation’s capital, and if the chatter in the corridors is any indication, we’re hurtling toward a government shutdown faster than a filibuster on steroids. As your faithful guide through the Beltway’s twists and turns, here’s the must-read updates from DC to the world. We’ll cut through the spin, spotlight the stakes, and maybe even chuckle at the absurdity. Let’s dive in.
1. Shutdown Showdown: Dems Dig In as the Clock Ticks Down
With funding deadlines looming at midnight on September 30, the specter of a federal government shutdown is no longer a whisper—it’s a full-throated roar echoing through the halls of Congress. Democrats, still smarting from their midterm blues, are framing this as a Republican-engineered crisis, pinning the blame on House GOP hardliners who refuse to budge on spending cuts. 0 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s caucus is playing a high-wire act: hold the line on non-negotiables like disaster aid and veterans’ benefits, but avoid the political fallout of shuttering national parks and furloughing 2 million federal workers. 1
The White House isn’t sitting idle. In a move that’s equal parts pragmatic and chilling, President Trump’s team has directed agencies to update contingency plans, though details on “mass firing” scenarios remain under wraps—preparing for the unthinkable cascade of layoffs that could ripple from Silicon Valley startups to rural post offices. 4 Wisconsin Democrats, ever the canaries in the coal mine for Midwestern voters, are already sounding alarms about constituents losing access to health care subsidies mid-treatment. 6 Broader politics are at play here too—polls show independents siding with Dems on avoiding the chaos, but Trump’s base sees it as fiscal tough love. 5 Trump even scrapped a planned meeting with Democratic leaders this week, deepening the divide. 6 Will cooler heads prevail by sundown on the 30th? Or are we in for a weekend of blame games and viral memes of empty TSA lines? Stay tuned; this one’s got legs.
2. Comey Comeback? DOJ Eyes Charges Against Ex-FBI Chief
In a plot twist that could make a John Grisham novel blush, the Department of Justice is reportedly gearing up to charge former FBI Director James Comey with lying to Congress about leaks from his memos during the Russia probe era—despite internal memos arguing there’s insufficient evidence for probable cause. 10 Sources say the push comes hot on the heels of Trump appointing loyalist Lindsey Halligan, his former personal attorney, to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, overriding a prosecutor who resigned under pressure. 12
This isn’t just score-settling; it’s a seismic shift in how the post-Trump DOJ wields its power. Comey’s 2017 firing was already lore, but indicting him now? It risks reigniting the endless Russia saga, alienating moderates, and testing the limits of “drain the swamp” rhetoric. 13 Legal eagles in DC are buzzing: Is this prosecutorial overreach, or overdue accountability? Either way, expect fireworks—Comey’s already lawyered up, and the cable news war rooms are lighting up like it’s 2016 all over again.
3. Trump vs. Truth: Obama Enters the Fray on Health Hoaxes
Former President Barack Obama, rarely one to wade into the fray uninvited, dropped a mic this week that still echoes across the Potomac. In a pointed speech at London’s O2 Arena, he lambasted Trump’s latest tweetstorm linking everyday pain relievers like paracetamol (Tylenol in the U.S.) to autism in infants as “violence against the truth” that undermines public health and scares pregnant women from safe fever relief. 15 It’s vintage Obama—eloquent, exasperated, and aimed squarely at the misinformation machine that’s become a hallmark of the current administration, especially with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushing the unproven claims alongside FDA label changes. 18
Meanwhile, Trump’s doubling down on his selective fact-picking: He touts a 25% drop in DC property crime under his federal takeover of the city’s policing as proof of his “law and order” magic, glossing over FBI stats that paint a more nuanced picture of urban violence trends declining nationwide post-pandemic. 21 And don’t get us started on the jobs report—booming numbers are “real,” while lagging sectors get the “phony” label. As one Hill staffer quipped over lobbyist-funded brunch, “In Trump’s DC, data’s just another word for ‘narrative.’” The world watches as America’s truth arbiter plays favorites, but hey, at least it’s never boring.
4. Biodefense Boost: Atlantic Council Goes Bipartisan (Shocking, Right?)
In brighter news amid the doom-scrolling, the Atlantic Council unveiled its latest brainchild today: a Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, folding into their Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Think tanks don’t often scream “unity,” but this one’s got heavy hitters from both aisles—co-chaired by former GOP Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Democrat Donna Shalala—brainstorming how to fortify America against pandemics 2.0—lessons from COVID still fresh, with bird flu whispers on the horizon. 25
Why care? Because in a world where lab leaks and engineered threats aren’t just sci-fi, DC’s wonks are finally talking prevention over reaction, extending U.S. efforts globally. 25 Expect hearings next month; it’s the kind of quiet diplomacy that might just save us from the next big one.
That’s your DC dispatch for today—raw, real, and ready for the road ahead. As the shutdown sword dangles, remember: In politics, as in life, deadlines are made to be danced with. Drop us a line at tips@dcdailyletter.com with your takes, or subscribe for the full newsletter (because who has time for paywalls?). Until tomorrow, keep questioning, keep connecting, and keep the faith.
Yours in the fray,
RL
Editor-in-Chief, DC Daily Letter