How Trump Played ‘Budgetary Twister’ to Pay Some Workers During the Shutdown
How Trump Played ‘Budgetary Twister’ to Pay Some Workers During the Shutdown
By paying troops and law enforcement officials, the president stretched the limits of his spending powers, posing a fresh test to Congress.
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Truth Analysis
Analysis Summary:
The article's accuracy is mixed. While it correctly identifies the administration's efforts to pay certain workers during the shutdown, some claims lack sufficient verification and the framing suggests a negative bias towards the administration's actions. The article uses loaded language like 'budgetary twister' which contributes to the bias.
Detailed Analysis:
- Claim: The president stretched the limits of his spending powers to pay troops and law enforcement officials during the shutdown.
- Verification Source #1: Confirms the Trump administration is pushing limits to pay federal law enforcement amid the shutdown.
- Verification Source #2: Mentions OMB's actions to pay some workers.
- Assessment: Supported by sources, but the extent to which the limits were 'stretched' is not explicitly verified.
- Claim: The administration is playing 'budgetary Twister'.
- Verification Source #4: Vought likened the process to 'playing budgetary Twister'.
- Assessment: Supported, as this is a direct quote attributed to Vought.
- Claim: The Trump administration is not using these extraordinary measures to keep other excepted federal employees from missing a paycheck.
- Verification Source #1: Confirms that the Trump administration is not using these extraordinary measures to keep *other* excepted federal employees from missing a paycheck.
- Assessment: Supported by source 1.
Supporting Evidence/Contradictions:
- Source 1: 'Budgetary Twister:' Trump administration pushes limits to pay federal law enforcement amid shutdown/
- Source 4: Vought likened that process to “playing budgetary Twister to…