Who is Patty Murray, the senator calling Trump the ‘most corrupt president in US history’ during the shutdown?

As the US government shutdown nears the one-month mark, tensions between Republicans and Democrats have intensified, with Washington State Senator Patty Murray sharply criticizing the Trump administration’s handling of the crisis. Calling Donald Trump “the most corrupt US president in American history” and accusing him of being “unwilling to even talk to Democrats” to resolve the deadlock, Murray voiced concern for the millions affected.

In a video clip posted on X, Murray said, “I am so worried about people who are not getting paid. I'm worried about the SNAP benefits. I'm worried about the fact that this administration said we're going to fire everybody who helps our students with disabilities or makes sure that we deal with the fentanyl crisis or fires thousands of people at the CDC who are making sure that you are protected when you buy something at the grocery store.”



Calling the situation “unprecedented,” she added that Democrats in the Senate are working “extremely hard” to get their Republican colleagues and the President to engage. “Come to the table… I have never in my entire career seen a president who won't even talk or work with Democrats in order to get something solved. That is unprecedented.”

Online criticism

That video of her was viewed by more than 460K people in 12 hours, but it also has more than 12K comments, some of them harsh criticism, accusing her and fellow Democrats of political posturing during the shutdown.

Others accused Murray of “holding America’s hungry hostage” to push additional spending, arguing that a clean funding bill would protect SNAP without delay.

Who is Patty Murray

Patty Murray is a long-serving US Senator from Washington state, known for her rise from a “mom in tennis shoes” activist to one of the most influential women in American politics. As revealed in her US Senate profile, born and raised in Bothell, Washington, Murray grew up in a large family that relied on food stamps and veterans’ benefits after her father, a World War II veteran, became seriously ill. With the help of federal grants, she attended Washington State University and later worked as a preschool teacher.

Murray’s political journey began when she fought to save her children’s preschool program from budget cuts, mobilizing thousands of parents after being told she was “just a mom in tennis shoes.” She went on to serve on the Shoreline School Board, then the Washington State Senate, and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992.

Since then, she has been re-elected six times and has held several historic roles, including being the first woman to chair the Senate Veterans’ Affairs, Budget, and Appropriations Committees, as well as the first female President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

Known for her bipartisan deal-making, Murray has worked across party lines on veterans’ care, education reforms, public health, and major budget legislation. She is currently Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and remains a leading voice on child care, workers’ rights, health care, and family-focused policies.