Julie Roginsky , a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends. Here, they discuss the week’s political events with Star-Ledger editor Enrique Lavín .

Q: What do you make of the Democrats’ decision to hold firm on health care funding demands despite the fallout from the government shutdown? It seems the White House is barreling forward with its drive to continue tearing into agencies already chainsawed by DOGE cuts. What scenarios do you see?

Julie: On the substance, there is no way for Democrats to win this shutdown. The White House will never reverse its healthcare cuts, because Donald Trump both enjoys causing pain for Americans and blaming Democrats for it. It’s a

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