Trump hosts Rose Garden Club lunch with GOP senators as shutdown enters fourth week

Senators gathered under yellow umbrellas on the newly built White House patio, enjoying cheeseburgers, fries, and 'Rose Garden chocolates'
PUBLISHED 3 HOURS AGO
President Donald Trump hosted nearly all Republican senators at the White House on Tuesday for a 'Rose Garden Club' lunch (Getty Images, @SenCapito/X)
President Donald Trump hosted nearly all Republican senators at the White House on Tuesday for a 'Rose Garden Club' lunch (Getty Images, @SenCapito/X)

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump turned the White House Rose Garden into a full-fledged Republican rally on Tuesday, October 21, as the government shutdown stretched into its fourth week with no resolution in sight.

Gathered under yellow umbrellas and clear autumn skies, nearly every Republican senator joined Trump for what was billed as a “Rose Garden Club” lunch, a mix of morale-boosting, political theater, and presidential defiance.

US President Donald Trump speaks at a 'Rose Garden Club' lunch in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 21, 2025 (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump speaks at a 'Rose Garden Club' lunch in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 21, 2025 (Getty Images)

Donald Trump rallies Republicans with burgers and bravado

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

The lunch, held on the newly built White House patio, featured cheeseburgers, fries, and “Rose Garden chocolates.” The atmosphere was lighthearted, but Trump’s message was not.

Standing beside Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the president delivered a fiery address defending the GOP’s stance in the shutdown standoff.



 

“This is the fourth week of the Democrat shutdown, but we are all here today because your Republican team in the Senate is unified,” Thune said as Trump nodded approvingly.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell listens as US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
US Senator Mitch McConnell listens as US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

“Everybody here has voted now 11 different times to open up the government, and we are going to keep voting. Eventually, the Democrats, hopefully sooner or later, are going to come around.”

US Senator Markwayne Mullin listens as US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
US Senator Markwayne Mullin listens as US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

Trump followed with his own sharp words, accusing Democrats of putting partisanship above the nation’s needs. “In a craven and pointless act of partisan spite,” he declared, “Chuck Schumer and the radical left Democrats are holding the entire federal government hostage to appease extremists in their party.”

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller listens as US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller listens as US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

The president’s approval rating, which had recently ticked up to 42% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll, seemed to fuel his upbeat tone as he mingled with senators and posed for photos between bites.

Chuck Schumer calls it ‘pep rally’ as shutdown toll grows

Across town, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the Rose Garden event as “a pep rally” staged to distract from the ongoing crisis. “Republicans may not have time to fix people’s health care, but apparently they’ve got plenty of time for a mini pep rally with Donald Trump,” Schumer quipped on the Senate floor.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 18: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a news conference on reproductive rights at the U.S. Capitol Building on June 18, 2024 in Washington, DC. Senate Democrats held the news conference to mark two years since the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a news conference on reproductive rights at the US Capitol Building on June 18, 2024 in Washington, DC (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

While the White House basked in its moment of unity, the reality outside its gates remained grim. The shutdown, now one of the longest in US history, had forced hundreds of thousands of federal employees to work without pay or face furloughs.

Programs such as Head Start and WIC, which provide essential services to millions of Americans, warned of imminent funding shortfalls. States scrambled to cover costs, and economic anxiety grew as the standoff dragged on.

Donald Trump vows to ‘stay the course’ as pressure mounts

Despite growing unrest, Trump showed no sign of backing down. Aides said he left the Rose Garden energized, convinced Republicans must stay the course.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 21: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump hosted the
 US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

“The president was in great spirits,” one senior official told reporters. “He believes the party is standing strong and that Democrats will eventually have to answer to the American people.”

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