During a Tuesday broadcast of MSNBC’s The Weeknight, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said Democrats should be prepared to shut down the federal government in response to the deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., and the Justice Department’s actions under President Donald Trump.

Martin’s remarks came during an interview with co-host Laura Barrón-López, who asked whether Democrats should consider a shutdown if Trump continues to use federal agencies in ways they oppose.

Barrón-López asked, “Do you think that Democrats should shut the government down if the president continues to use the Justice Department to go after his enemies, or if he keeps National Guard troops in the streets?”

Martin answered, “Yes, you have a fascist in the White House, and that requires us — we cannot be the only one playing by the rules with a hand tied behind our backs. That old playbook, the norms that used to have guardrails on our democracy and protect all of us in this country, that doesn’t exist anymore. We’ve got to throw that playbook out the window because the Republicans have.”

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He continued, “We cannot be the only party that’s playing by the rules anymore. That’s why I said this isn’t your grandfather’s Democratic Party, where you bring a pencil to a knife fight. We are bringing a bazooka to a knife fight. Donald Trump wanted a showdown. The Republicans want a showdown. We’re going to give it to them.”

Martin acknowledged that Democrats currently lack control of Congress but argued that their influence remains significant through other means.

“And guess what? We don’t have power in the Congress, that’s for sure. But we have the power of our voices. We have the power of our platforms to move public sentiment. And the public sentiment is moving our way. Yes, it’s slow. Yes, people still want to see more fight. I’m not going to ignore that,” Martin said.

The DNC chair also described his efforts to campaign and organize across the country, citing his travel schedule as part of building Democratic momentum.

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“But, at the end of the day, I can tell you, there are people, including myself — I’ve been in 30 states over the last six months, Laura, and I’m going to continue to travel this country to organize people in every part of this country to stand up to this dictator in chief,” Martin said.

The comments mark one of the strongest public calls by a top Democratic Party official to consider a government shutdown as a political strategy against President Trump.

Martin framed the moment as one where Democrats should abandon what he called the “old playbook” of political norms and adopt a more aggressive stance.

His remarks quickly circulated online after the broadcast, fueling debate about whether such a strategy would gain traction within the Democratic Party or lead to significant opposition from within its ranks.

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