Fact Check: Did Trump say government shutdowns ‘fall on the president’s lack of leadership’?

A viral claim says Donald Trump once declared that a government shutdown “falls on the president’s lack of leadership.” The quote is trending again after the U.S. government shut down on October 1, 2025. Here’s what Trump really said and why the claim is partly misleading.

Short answer: the exact sentence cannot be found in any verified transcript. But Trump made very similar remarks in 2013, arguing that the president carries ultimate responsibility for avoiding shutdowns. He also made related comments in 2011 about how a shutdown would reflect poorly on a president.

What Trump actually said in 2013

During the 2013 budget standoff under President Barack Obama, Trump phoned into Fox & Friends and said: “Problems start from the top, and they have to get solved from the top, and the president’s the leader… he’s got to get everybody in a room, and he’s got to lead.” He added that when people think of a shutdown, “they’re talking about the president.”

This is not the same as saying word-for-word, “A shutdown falls on the president’s lack of leadership,” but the sentiment is close. Independent fact-checkers have previously noted that the viral phrase is a paraphrase, not a direct quote.

Earlier remarks and political context

In 2011, when a funding lapse was looming, Trump said a shutdown would be “a tremendously negative mark on the president of the United States.” That clip resurfaced during later shutdown debates and is now circulating again.

The 2013 shutdown lasted 16 days over a dispute about the Affordable Care Act. Republicans wanted to block or delay Obamacare funding, while Democrats refused. Trump was then a businessman and political commentator preparing for a possible presidential run. His remarks were part of broader criticism of President Obama’s handling of the standoff.

Why the claim is resurfacing in 2025

The latest U.S. shutdown began October 1, 2025, after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. As federal workers face furloughs and delays in pay, older Trump quotes have gone viral on social media. Supporters of Democrats are using them to argue that Trump is now contradicting his earlier statements about presidential accountability.

Meanwhile, political figures are trading blame. Some Republicans have claimed Democrats are pushing costly healthcare expansions. Fact-checkers have pointed out that claims about free healthcare for undocumented immigrants are inaccurate.

Bottom line: The viral sentence is not an exact Trump quote, but it reflects what he said in 2011 and 2013 — that a shutdown is tied to presidential leadership and the president must step up to resolve it.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: Did Trump literally say “a shutdown falls on the president’s lack of leadership”?

No. The exact wording isn’t in verified transcripts. But his 2013 remarks carried the same message about presidential responsibility.

Q2: What is Trump’s most documented 2013 quote?

“Problems start from the top… the president’s the leader… he’s got to lead.” He said this on Fox & Friends during the 2013 shutdown.

Q3: What did Trump say in 2011?

He warned that a shutdown would be “a tremendously negative mark on the president of the United States.”

Q4: Why is this old quote trending now?

It’s being shared as the U.S. faces a 2025 shutdown under Trump, with critics pointing out his earlier stance on presidential accountability.

Q5: Are current shutdown blame claims accurate?

Some claims are misleading. Fact-checkers say Democrats did not shut down the government to give free healthcare to undocumented immigrants.

References

PolitiFact. (2018). “Before he was president, did Donald Trump say a government shutdown shows a president is weak?” December 14, 2018.

Associated Press. (2025). “FACT FOCUS: Democrats did not shut down the government to give health care to ‘illegal immigrants’.” October 2, 2025.

The Washington Post. (2017). “Everything Trump has ever tweeted about government shutdowns, in one post.” August 25, 2017.

Reuters. (2025). “The longest US government shutdowns.” October 1, 2025.