A town in Trump country where the lockdown ax looms

It’s been three months since Jonathan Giba moved into temporary housing for homeless veterans inside a hospital for former members of the U.S. military in West Virginia.

He is awaiting medical and dental consultations, after the medications he previously prescribed left him without teeth and unable to walk. Now, with the government shut down, he’s preparing to wait even longer.

He calls it “political BS.” The Veterans Affairs Hospital of the United States, where Gibba resides in Martinsburg, West Virginia, still provides medical care, but the VA has halted other programs that help veterans find jobs and transition from military life.

“The shutdown is a waste of time, and it hurts everyone in the meantime,” says one Army veteran.

Martinsburg is an American city Particularly consistent in feeling the effects of the US government shutdown.

A city of approximately 20,000 people located about 85 miles (136 km) outside of Washington, D.C., federal agencies employ up to 3,300 people in the area, between the Veterans Affairs Hospital, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) processing facility, and the Farm Assistance Bureau.

Another thousand or so federal workers commute to the nation’s capital daily from the Amtrak station in central Martinsburg.

This is Trump country, where 67% voted for the president in 2024, and strong independence underpins something of a success mentality.

Due to the government shutdown, a nearby community event — the Freedom’s Run Race Series — changed its route from trails near the federal Civil War battlefield site, but continued as planned. Harper’s Ferry National Park and a nearby tourist destination have been kept open with state funds.

But the political bickering in Washington and the apparent disinterest in Americans’ daily lives are not far from people’s minds. They are worried about what will come as the lockdown continues.

On an unseasonably warm Monday, nearly six days after the U.S. government shutdown, Giba sits under the shade of a large tree smoking cigarettes with fellow veterans.

One of them, Troy Williams, says the policy is hurting ordinary Americans. “This is not a Democratic or Republican issue, which is why they are not working on a solution to this issue,” he says.

Air Force veteran Marcellus Brothers is worried about what lies ahead. “We’re in limbo, it’s scary.”

Republicans and Democrats have been deadlocked over government funding since it ran out on Oct. 1, and much of the government has shut down, putting more than 700,000 people on unpaid leave. About 200,000 other workers considered “essential” are working without pay as the political crisis continues.

Politicians in Washington have pointed the finger of blame at the opposition party. On Friday, the White House began laying off thousands of federal employees.

In a state already reeling from job cuts due to the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce, the shutdown threatens to take an even greater toll, warned Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Budget and Policy Center.

“We have more federal government employees than coal miners in West Virginia,” she says. “Of course these jobs pay well, they come with good benefits and in a country where there aren’t a lot of good-paying jobs, these jobs are really important.”

Tina Hossam, an employee at a small business in the area, has witnessed the impact of the government shutdown on her neighbors firsthand.

“It hurts small businesses, they may cancel services, they may not shop locally,” she says of federal workers. “The government shutdown is having a huge impact and it’s really scary, I pray it all goes away.”

Already, the USDA Service Center — which serves the seven surrounding counties — has closed its doors.

The office — responsible for helping farmers, ranchers and landowners with tasks such as applying for farm loans and disaster assistance — will remain closed until the government reopens.

On Wednesday, the IRS furloughed 34,000 workers, so the service center in Martinsburg could be affected soon.

History has shown that as lockdowns continue, more services are cut or closed due to lack of funding.

West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito has so far remained uneasy despite the potential impact on districts she represents like Martinsburg. She voted with her Republican colleagues to provide government funding without the health care subsidies Democrats want. Proposals from both sides have failed repeatedly.

In a local op-ed, Moore Capito noted that West Virginia has the third-highest number of federal employees per capita in the country, but blamed Democratic intransigence.

“These are our neighbors and friends — the people who keep our miners safe, process veterans’ benefits, secure our borders, and keep drugs from entering our communities. They now face uncertainty about their paychecks through no fault of their own.”

When the first checks since the lockdown arrive – or don’t arrive – on Friday, that impact may finally be happening.

In previous shutdowns, federal workers who remained unpaid were given their wages back, but it remains unclear whether that will be the case this time.

“Economic loss can have wide-ranging consequences for local communities, businesses and families. It can cause long-term damage to local economies,” says resident Mark Mulligan.

“West Virginia is a poor state and dependent on federal jobs and grants. The pain experienced by the elderly, disabled and children can be catastrophic.”