As midnight neared on Friday and the U.S. government barreled toward a shutdown, Republicans and Democrats sought to apportion blame for the deadlock with a battle of social media hashtags. By the time the deadline had passed without a deal and exhausted senators returned home to bed, #TrumpShutdown was fast becoming the top trending item on Twitter worldwide. In an early indication of who was being held responsible for the impasse in Washington, at least among users of the social networking site early on Saturday, that hashtag beat competitors including #DemocratShutdown and #GOPShutdown. “This will be called the #TrumpShutdown,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer tweeted after government funding expired. “There is no one who deserves the blame for the position we find ourselves in more than President (Donald) Trump.” Many who shared the hashtag decried a lack of leadership from the Republican president, in sharp contrast to his self-crafted image as a dealmaker who would make Washington work. As both parties exchanged online blows, some of Trump’s supporters, including White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, sought to push the hashtag #SchumerShutdown. Published in Daily Times, January 22nd 2018.