The US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 24, 2025. Nathan Howard/Reuters

The possibly imminent government shutdown would be like no federal funding crunch before it.

The showdown ahead of a Tuesday night deadline is about far more than the classic feud over how the government spends its money , and whether a White House or its Capitol Hill foes will prevail in a political test of wills.

The clash between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats comes against the backdrop of the most aggressive attempt by a president to impose unfettered power in modern times.

So the shutdown brinkmanship will take on a wider narrative of whether a rampant president can be slowed or stopped on any issue.

In recent days alone:

► Trump has ordered troops to Portland, Oregon , to

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