Just when it seemed America’s political rhetoric couldn’t get any more supercharged, President Donald Trump strapped on his rhetorical bug zapper and set his sights squarely on the Democrats. In front of thousands of U.S. Navy members, he declared, “We have to take care of this little gnat that’s on our shoulder called the Democrats. They want to give all of our money to illegal aliens [who] pour into the country.”
He then flicked his shoulder for theatrical effect. Think about that!
But for those who are keeping score at home, Donald Trump was referring to a block of Americans almost perfectly matched by the right in raw numbers. According to a July Pew survey, 45% of Americans identify with or lean Democratic, while 46% lean Republican. This fact paints his attack as, at best, wildly broad. Trump didn’t stop there.
As the official Navy event took on all the trappings of a full-fledged Trumpapalooza, he crowed:
“Let’s face it, this is a rally.”
Still, the president’s flashy words couldn’t mask the real worry underneath. He spoke while his administration and Democrats remained locked in a bitter standoff over the government shutdown. Federal offices are already frozen and unable to function. Behind closed doors, both sides trade the same quiet accusation: neither believes the other is genuinely trying to negotiate. The president’s team is threatening massive layoffs as the shutdown goes into its second week if Democrats don’t “back down,” per The Guardian. Members of Congress are caught in a staring contest as they blame each other for the stalled discussions, with no breakthrough in sight.
“We have to take care of this little gnat that’s on our shoulder called the Democrats.”
~ Trump to the U.S. Navy pic.twitter.com/mp3SChYLub— Poindexter (@Ahclem53) October 6, 2025
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While Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says the administration is not ready to engage, Republicans claim Democrats aren’t sincere about ending the shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson and his Republican allies are accusing Democrats of using the shutdown for their own political gain. At the same time, out-of-power Democrats have fully embraced their role as the loyal opposition, trying to rein in what they and a sizeable chunk of constitutional scholars view as a dangerously unchecked presidency.
Trump already faces heat for calling out left-wing rhetoric as a driver of political violence while turning up the temperature himself. His latest comments in Norfolk only reinforce critics’ fears that Donald Trump is treating the opposition as disposable irritants, rather than fellow Americans with a different vision for the country. It’s a moment that feels less like the Navy’s birthday and more like democracy’s annual checkup, one where the diagnosis, many say, is not looking great.
For every gnat swatted, the country seems to grow itchier, angrier, and ever more divided.
NEXT UP: Donald Trump Calls Democrats ‘The Party of Hate, Evil, and Satan’
