Leftist celebrities are lashing out at Senate Democrats after eight members of the party crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans to end the nation’s longest federal government shutdown. The short-term spending bill, passed Sunday night, secured just enough support to meet the 60-vote threshold and move forward—prompting outrage from Hollywood’s progressive elite who saw the vote as a betrayal of their hardline stance against President Donald Trump.
Among the most vocal critics were actors and creators known for their political activism. Rob Delaney, Jon Cryer, Bradley Whitford, Whoopi Goldberg, Paul F. Tompkins, and Michael Ian Black all took to social media to condemn Democrats—especially Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer—for agreeing to a deal that would restore government operations, including services to low-income Americans.
Delaney attacked so-called “Cave Senators,” suggesting Democrats had failed to stand firm, while Cryer offered a blunt rebuke: “You suck at this.” Paul F. Tompkins responded with sarcasm, mocking those defending the Democrat strategy by suggesting every move is part of some master plan. Michael Ian Black wrote that the centrist Democrats who flipped “appear to have recently graduated from the Susan Collins School of Fecklessness,” calling their compromise cowardly.
The outrage highlights a deepening divide within the Democratic coalition. While working-class Americans were left without SNAP benefits, paycheck protections, or travel security during the shutdown, far-left Hollywood voices prioritized political warfare over legislative progress. These same critics often advocate for the very social programs that were stalled by the shutdown—programs that resumed only after the bipartisan vote.
The irony wasn’t lost on many observers: liberal celebrities, living in luxury, are furious that Congress reached a deal to help the country’s most vulnerable. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats who supported the resolution pointed to the need to resume services and avoid further economic disruption.
