Trump’s Shutdown Ends — Why Did Justice Jackson Let Him Withhold SNAP Benefits?

Trump’s shutdown is finally over — but the way it ended reveals deeper problems inside our democracy. In this episode of The Oath and The Office, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang break down how Trump pushed the country to the brink, why Democrats stepped in to end the standoff, and why the courts never had the chance to weigh in.

We analyze Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s surprising procedural move that allowed Trump to pause food-stamp payments — and why she signaled she would have ruled differently if the full Court had acted. We also examine the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear Kim Davis’s appeal, what it means for marriage equality, new reporting on whether Trump’s allies profited from presidential pardons, and the surreal “Sandwich Guy” case that raises real questions about American democracy.

The shutdown may be over, but its aftermath shows how political chaos becomes a test of the Constitution — and how fragile the rule of law remains.