As the government shutdown slides into its third week, officials close to the Trump administration say momentum is shifting. They argue that political pressure and public frustration may force Democrats, especially moderates, to act.

‘I think the Schumer shutdown is likely to end some time this week.’

Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, suggested the end might be in sight. In a CNBC interview, Hassett , “A lot of our friends in the Senate have said that it was just bad optics for Democrats to open the government before the No Kings rally, and that now there’s a shot that this week things will come together and very quickly the moderate Democrats will move forward and get us an open government.”

The No Kings rallies, a series of feeble nationwide protests against the Trump administration, took place on Saturday. With that event behind them, Hassett said Democrats could be more willing to negotiate.

Some Democrats publicly say they want to reopen the government, but several holdouts remain dug in. A handful of moderates have already backed a clean continuing resolution, siding with Republicans who want to end the stalemate quickly.

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Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that a resolution is possible on a short timeline. “We should be able to wrap this up this week if they will sit down and have a negotiation with us.”

Whether that optimism pans out is another question. Several Democrat holdouts haven’t publicly softened their demands, so a deal is far from guaranteed.

The White House put pressure on Senate Democrats in blunt terms. “Director Hassett is one of tens of millions of everyday Americans who are all hoping that Senate Democrats will do the right thing by ending their government shutdown. The American people deserve better than being left in the lurch because Democrats want to die on the hill of giving free health care to illegal immigrants,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Blaze News.

Republicans are presenting this moment as a clear test: back a clean resolution and reopen the government, or insist on policy changes that would expand benefits for noncitizens. That framing is designed to keep pressure on moderate Democrats and to shape public perception if talks stall.

All eyes will be on Senate moderates this week as negotiations and votes play out. If those senators break toward reopening, the shutdown could end quickly; if not, the standoff could extend into another week.

Hassett’s reference to bad optics underlines the political calculation at play. Republicans say timing and public perception often force concessions, and they see the post-rally calendar as an advantage. That strategy aims to isolate the holdouts and present a simple choice to voters.

A few of those moderates have already crossed to back a clean continuing resolution, which Republicans argue is the straightforward fix. Their votes show the vulnerability of a bloc that depends on unanimous Democratic unity. If more follow, the shutdown could end with minimal policy concessions.

That is the practical arithmetic senators will face when they step onto the floor. Watch this week for votes and private negotiations that will decide whether the government reopens or the standoff deepens.