From TMZ to Trump, pressure grows to bring Congress back during partial shutdown

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WASHINGTON (AP) — TMZ built its brand tracking celebrities. Now it is turning its attention to Congress, chasing down paparazzi-style shots of lawmakers on break from Washington during a record-long partial government shutdown.

Videos and photos posted by the tabloid website showing lawmakers in airports, Las Vegas and even Disney World have racked up millions of views and led to a growing backlash. With travel disruptions persisting and some federal workers going without pay, pressure is mounting on Congress to cut short its regularly scheduled recess.

Beyond TMZ, President Donald Trump also wants lawmakers to come back, even hinting he might invoke rarely used powers to call Congress into session.

On Wednesday, he directed them to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, and House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune issued a joint statement saying they would work together in the coming days to do that.

The basic framework would be similar to a bipartisan funding deal previously passed by the Senate and rejected by the House last week. But even if the bill once again quickly clears the Senate, its path through the House could be complicated and potentially require members to return to Washington.

As lawmakers headed out of Washington last week, the celebrity-gossip outlet TMZ put out a call.

“TMZ is on the hunt for photos of politicians on vacay as TSA officers suffer!” the outlet said in a social media post.

The focus from TMZ, an outlet known more for capturing unflattering footage of celebrities than for digging into the nuances of federal policy, was the latest example of how politics is being fueled by viral images and populist sentiment.

Videos quickly followed, showing senators moving through airports — often attempting to shield themselves from cameras — with provocative headlines layered on top. The clips racked up millions of views.

The outlet didn’t stop there. Photos of lawmakers on vacation soon followed, including viral images of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., at Disney World, with captions such as: “Lindsey Graham lives it up at Disney World during the partial government shutdown!”

Graham said that he had been in Florida for a meeting with Trump administration officials and had made a stop at Disney World with a friend. He also blamed Democrats for the shutdown.

Another widely shared post showed Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., in Las Vegas.

“Actually I don’t mind what TMZ is doing here,” Garcia posted in response, adding that he was visiting his father. “Like I said a few days ago, Speaker Mike Johnson should have never sent us all home.”

The effort grew out of frustration, said TMZ executive producer Harvey Levin, after the outlet interviewed a TSA worker struggling due to missed paychecks during the shutdown.

“It outraged us so much we wanted to use our platforms to show how Congress — Dems AND Republicans — have betrayed us,” Levin said in a statement.

He added that lawmakers shouldn’t expect the coverage to end anytime soon.

“Several months ago we decided to amp up our presence and our voice,” Levin said. “We now have a producer and a photog circulating in the Capitol, showing the intersection between politics and pop culture.”

Beyond the internet, pressure has also ramped up from the White House. Trump spoke with Thune on Sunday and Monday, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said he has urged leadership to cancel recess “repeatedly.”

“He’ll host a big Easter dinner here at the White House if Congress will come back,” she added.

Unions are also added to that pressure.

“To leave Washington while tens of thousands of workers are going without pay shows a clear lack of respect for the essential employees tasked with keeping our nation safe,” said Hydrick Thomas, president of the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100.

Although vacation snapshots have stirred outrage, recess is also an opportunity for lawmakers to reconnect with constituents back home. Some hold town hall events. Others go on trips abroad, such as joining a delegation to Taiwan.

The joint statement from Thune and Johnson came in the face of the enormous pressure that had built, after the two leaders had appeared to be on separate pages.

“In the coming days, Republicans in the Senate and House will be following through on the President’s directive by fully funding the entire Department of Homeland Security on two parallel tracks,” they said.

The plan relies on funding most of the department through an agreement with Democratic senators, while leaving out money for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol. Republicans would try later to fund those agencies through party-line budgeting legislation.

Thune and Johnson hope the path ahead will win over skeptical Republicans, especially since Trump himself has given his support for the emerging strategy.

Trump on Wednesday appeared to endorse that approach, saying on social media that Republicans were “going forward” to fund ICE and Border Patrol without Democratic votes. He set a June 1 deadline for Congress to act.

But the most conservate GOP lawmakers are still likely to demand full funding for all of Trump’s immigration and deportation operations, likely setting up the House for an early return to Washington.

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Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.