MAGA Senators Flee Washington as Shutdown Showdown Collapses

GOP lawmakers abandon the capital as a bipartisan deal to reopen parts of the government falls apart.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 3:49am

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A dimly lit, cinematic painting of a lone figure hurrying through an empty airport terminal, their face obscured by shadow, conveying a sense of political crisis and dysfunction.As partisan tensions boil over, lawmakers flee the capital, abandoning their responsibilities to the American people.Washington Today

Just hours after pushing through a last-ditch deal to reopen parts of the government, MAGA Republican senators like Ted Cruz and John Thune were spotted hurriedly leaving Washington as the agreement quickly collapsed. The bipartisan Senate bill that passed in the early hours of Friday morning would have funded most of the Department of Homeland Security through September, but it notably excluded money for ICE and Border Patrol - a red line for MAGA hardliners in the House. By midday, the House had effectively blown up the deal, leaving the government partially shut down and federal workers unpaid.

Why it matters

The government shutdown has already caused major disruptions, clogging airport security lines as TSA workers - many of them unpaid - have started calling out of work by the thousands each day. The optics of lawmakers fleeing the capital as the crisis deepens is a potent political symbol, underscoring the partisan dysfunction in Washington.

The details

The bipartisan Senate bill that passed early Friday morning would have funded most of the Department of Homeland Security through September, but it notably excluded money for ICE and Border Patrol - a red line for MAGA hardliners in the House. By midday, the House had effectively blown up the deal, with Speaker Mike Johnson trashing the Senate's work as 'a joke' and MAGA House Republicans fuming that the bill reflected Democratic priorities by failing to fund immigration enforcement. Some are now pushing a rival stopgap bill that restores funding for ICE and Border Patrol, but that idea would almost certainly go nowhere in the Senate, since most senators have already left D.C.

  • On Thursday night, Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn was spotted slipping through the airport, using an escort to shield herself from cameras.
  • On Friday, TMZ spotted Senator Ted Cruz on a flight out of Washington, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune was seen hurrying through Reagan National Airport.

The players

Ted Cruz

A Republican senator from Texas and prominent MAGA supporter.

John Thune

The Senate Majority Leader, a Republican from South Dakota.

Mike Johnson

The Republican Speaker of the House.

Marsha Blackburn

A Republican senator from Tennessee.

Hakeem Jeffries

The House Minority Leader, a Democrat from New York.

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What they’re saying

“'We've made some temporary headway, but we've got a lot of work to do.'”

— John Thune, Senate Majority Leader

“'The Senate has gone dark,' complaining there had been little coordination between the chambers.”

— Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House

“'The Senate deal could have ended the shutdown immediately—if Republicans had backed it.'”

— Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader

What’s next

With most senators already on their way out of Washington for a two-week recess, fixing the shutdown mess could mean dragging them back to the capital.

The takeaway

The optics of lawmakers fleeing the capital as the government shutdown crisis deepens is a potent political symbol, underscoring the partisan dysfunction in Washington and the inability of both parties to put aside differences and find a solution.