Senator John Kennedy Slams MAGA Colleagues: “What We Have Here Is an Intergalactic Freak Show”
Senator John Kennedy (R–Louisiana) didn’t hold back this weekend as he blasted his Republican colleagues over what he described as chaos and dysfunction within their closed-door meetings on Capitol Hill. Speaking to Politico on Friday, Kennedy mocked the ongoing GOP negotiations meant to end the record-breaking government shutdown, calling them “an intergalactic freak show.”
The Louisiana senator’s sharp criticism came as lawmakers gathered in Washington for a “working weekend” ordered by former President Donald Trump. Despite the urgency, Trump himself was spotted far from D.C.—enjoying a golf outing with his son Eric at the Trump National Doral Golf Club in Florida. The contrast between Trump’s sunny leisure and the grim mood in Washington underscored the widening rift within the GOP.
The weekend meetings were meant to seal a long-awaited deal to reopen the government. Yet, Kennedy made it clear that he had little faith in the process. “Nothing,” he said bluntly when asked what the talks would accomplish. “We’re going to be here for a long time.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R–South Dakota) didn’t sound much more optimistic. “It remains to be seen whether we’ll reach a deal,” Thune told reporters. The Republican caucus appeared divided, weary, and uncertain about how to end a shutdown that has now stretched into its 38th day—the longest in U.S. history.
Democrats, meanwhile, showed little sympathy for the GOP’s internal strife. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D–New Mexico) suggested a simple solution: lock everyone in a room until they sort it out. “Put them in a barn and don’t let them out until they come up with a solution,” he quipped.
While senators toiled in D.C., Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to lay down his terms. “The United States Senate should not leave town until they have a Deal to end the Democrat Shutdown,” he wrote on Friday. “If they can’t reach a Deal, Republicans should terminate the Filibuster IMMEDIATELY and take care of our Great American Workers!”
The shutdown began on October 1 after months of failed negotiations over federal spending and border security funding. The prolonged stalemate has furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers and frozen key services nationwide. Pressure is mounting from both sides of the aisle to find a resolution—but the divisions run deep, especially within the GOP.
Trump’s latest demand—the so-called “nuclear option” of abolishing the Senate filibuster—has been met with mixed reactions from Republicans. While some hardliners support the idea, others, including Kennedy, remain skeptical. Speaking to Fox News host Laura Ingraham earlier in the week, Kennedy defended the Senate’s procedural traditions, even as he sympathized with Trump’s frustration.
“I don’t blame the president for being frustrated,” Kennedy said. “He’s frustrated that we’re not getting up off our ice-cold, lazy butts and passing bills that would be part of his agenda—and frankly, I don’t blame him for feeling that way.”
Still, the senator’s biting remarks about his own party revealed the depth of dysfunction plaguing the GOP as it struggles to govern effectively under Trump’s renewed influence. Kennedy’s “intergalactic freak show” comment quickly went viral, sparking backlash and amusement across social media. Some viewed it as a rare moment of honesty from within the Republican ranks; others saw it as a sign of a party tearing itself apart.
As negotiations drag on and patience wears thin, one thing is clear: if Kennedy’s grim prediction comes true, the GOP could be stuck in this political standoff for much longer. And with Trump calling the shots from his golf cart in Florida, it’s anyone’s guess when—or if—the show in Washington will finally end.
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