US Agencies Tell Employees That Democrats Are to Blame for Shutdown

The US Capitol in Washington on Sept. 30.

Photographer: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg

As Washington careened toward a government shutdown on Tuesday, the Trump administration used federal websites and employee email lists to spread a simple, but unusual message: Blame the Democrats.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development posted a banner on its website Tuesday morning blaming the impending shutdown on the political left, a surprisingly partisan public communication, and one that could violate federal law.