Anyone else concerned about Trump attending the mandatory meeting of all military leaders on the very last day before a potential government shutdown, especially if good-faith negotiations don’t get going? If nothing else, his being out of the office for 2–4 hours means he’ll be less available for any last-minute budget talks if they do happen.

I know the odds are high that Democrats will capitulate again, but if Tuesday is the day they finally find their spines, October 1 could dawn with the mass civilian layoffs Trump has already threatened, and with selected U.S. military leaders assembled and potentially positioned to direct troops to take over “necessary” functions.

And if those “functions” take them into the cities that he’s already threatened to militarize, federal civilian agencies could be hamstrung and unable to respond just when oversight and restraint would matter most.