Liz Peek praised Donald Trump’s upbeat approach and foreign policy successes despite the ongoing government shutdown, calling his recent speech “brilliant” and “full of life.” She contrasted Trump’s active leadership—traveling abroad, securing trade deals, and projecting American strength—with what she described as a do-nothing Congress. Peek argued that while Trump’s approval remains strong, public frustration is mounting toward both parties for their failure to govern responsibly. She criticized lawmakers for continuing to draw paychecks during the shutdown while federal employees and military families face uncertainty, noting the hypocrisy of Democrats who claim to care about America’s global image yet preside over dysfunction.
Peek also highlighted a surprising twist in the political standoff: the federal workers’ union, traditionally allied with Democrats, called for an end to the shutdown and endorsed a “clean continuing resolution” — the very proposal Republicans had been pushing. She said this shift gave Republicans leverage while demonstrating growing impatience within the Democratic base. Turning to the markets, Peek observed that Wall Street appeared unconcerned about the shutdown, focusing instead on Trump’s trade diplomacy with China and his efforts to secure new rare earth mineral agreements with allies like Japan and Australia. She concluded that Trump’s foreign policy is effectively “ring-fencing China,” advancing U.S. interests in Asia while Congress stalls at home.
