Updated September 30, 2025 at 10:23 PM PDT

The Trump administration is blaming Democrats for the government shutdown in internal federal agency communications as well as on at least one public website, in what experts say could be a violation of federal ethics laws.

A bright red banner and pop-up message first appeared Tuesday on the Department of Housing and Urban Development's website. It was updated early Wednesday morning and warns: "The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need."

Staffers at multiple agencies and Cabinet departments received emails on Tuesday from the White House Office of Management and Budget. Many shared screenshots of those emails with NPR, or confirmed the text of the message they received.

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