The U.S. government shut down Thursday after Sen. Rand Paul blocked a Senate vote.

illinigardner/Flickr (CC-BY)

People affected by the shutdown are sharing #ShutdownStories on Twitter

The shutdown entered its fourth day on Tuesday, affecting Christmas plans for many across the country

 

Samira Sadeque

Layer 8

Posted on Dec 25, 2018   Updated on May 20, 2021, 10:45 pm CDT

While President Donald Trump was left tweeting about being alone on Christmas Eve, a much sadder trend was seen on Twitter on Monday—federal employees, affected by the government shutdown, sharing their stories.

The shutdown reached its fourth day on Tuesday, with a stalemate between Trump and congressional Democrats over the funding of the border wall.  

While politicians remain divided on the issue, the shutdown trickles down to individuals and families. As previous records show, it often affects poor families and low-income workers. Many are sharing their accounts using the hashtag #ShutdownStories. It’s a grim look into the lives of the common citizen who have become collateral damage to divisive politics.

The trend likely began when Twitter user Tea Pain asked for people to share their stories on Sunday:

Thousands responded, each sharing their own kind of struggle: 

https://twitter.com/k6adams/status/1077226858054385667

A lot of the tweets are surrounding the sole breadwinner of the family who now has no pay:

https://twitter.com/theSarawithanH/status/1077068116616605697

Worst of all, it means Christmas is canceled for many:

https://twitter.com/NatureGirlTech/status/1077580634023972865

https://twitter.com/SusanJustSusan/status/1076986663505719296

https://twitter.com/chrisoulajames/status/1077227446653673473

The shutdown is having ripple effects on those who are not employees of the federal government but are dependent on it:

For thousands of people, it’s not a very merry Christmas this year, especially amid growing fear the shutdown can last until mid-January.

Share this article
*First Published: Dec 25, 2018, 10:48 am CST