5 Things Obama Banned During Shutdown But Trump Kept Going
Government shutdowns are a painful process that hurt government workers across the U.S., and a leader’s duty is to alleviate that hurt as much as possible.
While former President Barack Obama made virtually no attempts to ease the pain during the 2013 government shutdown, President Donald Trump had a much different approach to the 2018 shutdown.
Let’s look at the five things Trump kept in operation but Obama kept closed during their respective government shutdowns.
Yellowstone National Park
As noted by the Newburyport Daily News, a group of senior citizens was held under armed guard during the 2013 shutdown. The citizens were eventually loaded into buses and removed 2.5 hours out of the park due to the shutdown.
However, the park remained open and no one was held captive under armed guard during in 2018.
Military Access to Televised Football
Back in 2013, the American Forces Network remained down during the shutdown. Fox Sports reported that some service members took to Twitter begging for the channel to come back on.
However, during Trump’s tenure, the channel remained active and showed the NFL’s conference championship games, allowing our troops overseas to enjoy a little taste of home.
The Smithsonian
The world-famous museum, along with 45 fountains, was put on lockdown during the 2013 shutdown under Obama. WJLA noted that visitors trying to enter the museum were met with metal barricades, yellow caution tape and locked doors. The museum’s closure reportedly irked and disappointed many visitors.
But under Trump, the Smithsonian remained open for all visitors to enjoy.
“Our museums, research centers & the National Zoo are OPEN today,” the museum’s official Twitter announced Monday.
D.C. War Memorials
The Washington Post reported in 2013 that a group of elderly veterans arrived at the World War II Memorial only to find the monument barricaded and fountains shut off due to the shutdown. The barricades were later lifted and the veterans were able to enter the memorial.
However, visitors faced no resistance during the 2018 shutdown, as the monument remained open — a major difference from five years prior.
“Ensuring our @NatlParkService parks are as accessible as possible. Wonderful to meet students from Illinois,” Secretary Ryan Zinke tweeted Saturday.
Mount Vernon
During the 2013 shutdown under Obama, park police blocked the entrance to George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
However, the monument announced via Twitter that it would remain open during the 2018 shutdown.
While Trump wasn’t solely responsible for keeping the aforementioned areas open during the 2018 shutdown, he managed to provide a little bit of stability and happiness during a stressful moment in politics. Obama, however, can’t say the same.
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