California Governor calls himself "leader of the free world" amid shutdown

Against the background of the suspension of the federal government in the United States due to the lack of coordination of the draft budget (shutdown), California Governor Gavin Newsom declared himself the "leader of the free world." The politician made a corresponding statement on October 1 on the social network X.

"Good news, patriots! Since Washington is not functioning, now I, Gavin Newsom, am the leader of the free world," he said.

He then jokingly presented his political program, which includes universal health care, free school lunches and preschool education, the creation of high-paying jobs and the abolition of trade duties, which he called "unfair."

Further in the message, Newsom promised subsidies for hair gel for "pretty Democrats," subsidies for eggs, the legalization of cannabis, as well as the abolition of additional payments on the Ticketmaster platform for fans of singer Taylor Swift.

It is noteworthy that at the same time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the shutdown a threat to the national security of the United States.

Dispute over funds: how the shutdown exposed a political split within the United States

As of October 1, about 4 million Americans are at risk of losing their salaries due to the government shutdown.

On October 1, the government was suspended in the United States. Because of this, non-authorized personnel of federal agencies will be forcibly sent on unpaid leave. At the same time, some will continue to perform their work duties without a salary.

Later, on October 1, Ekaterina Kosareva, managing partner of the VMT Consult analytical agency, told Izvestia that the shutdown in the United States does not pose a serious threat to the country's economy, but undermines confidence in the political system. According to her, this event indicates a split between Congress and the White House, which is manifested in their inability to reach an agreement on key issues such as the budget.

Later, US Vice President Jay Dee Vance said he did not expect a prolonged shutdown in the country, as the moderate Democrats were "already starting to lose ground."

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