Four weeks have now passed since the U.S. government shut down, with Democrats demanding new Obamacare subsidies and the White House seizing the opportunity to unilaterally eliminate congressionally funded programs and agencies. With the battle lines hardening, it seems increasingly inevitable that we’ll surpass the 35-day shutdown record of 2018-19, when Congress was at loggerheads over Trump’s border wall. Back then, of course, Trump was fully engaged in negotiations between the two sides—it was his signature wall, after all. But this time around, he’s barely acknowledged the impasse. Instead, he’s letting Capitol Hill take the heat while he focuses on making the case for his Nobel Peace Prize (there’s always 2026…) and cutting trade deals in Asia.