I closely followed how Trump managed this brief but intense government shutdown in early February. On February 3, 2026, he signed the budget that reopened the government after four days of paralysis, and honestly, the way it was resolved says a lot about where we are in Trump’s second term.

The shutdown had affected 78% of federal operations — a serious situation for public employees, even though essential services like Social Security continued. But what struck me was the final bipartisan compromise: the House approved the bill with just 217 votes against 214, on February 3. Basically at the limit.

Negotiations mainly focused on DHS and ICE — Democrats were pushing to limit Trump’s aggressive immigration policies, while the president wanted to maintain full control over these departments. In the end, DHS received funding only until February 13, which means the drama could repeat soon. It’s an interesting strategy, almost as if Trump is using these deadlines as leverage to get what he wants during the rest of his second term.

From a market perspective, the quick resolution was seen as positive — less uncertainty, less chaos. Traders appreciated the reduction in volatility, even though everyone knows the real test will come when DHS funding runs out. And considering how Trump is handling these negotiations, I wouldn’t be surprised if the next round is even more intense.

This is the second shutdown in his second term, but much shorter than the record 43-day shutdown during his first term. It shows that at least this time, the president managed to push Congress toward a faster resolution. Federal employees will receive back pay, and most agencies are now funded through September 2026.

It’s not purely a political issue — when Trump’s second term ends, these precedents of short shutdowns could have established a new government model. Meanwhile, the crypto market continues to monitor how these developments influence macroeconomic stability. If you want to follow these movements, Gate offers good tools to track how markets react to these political events.