As Washington careened toward a government shutdown on Tuesday, the Trump administration used federal websites and employee email lists to spread a simple, but unusual message: Blame the Democrats.

The Trump administration will carry ahead with investigations into certain imports during a possible government shutdown, allowing them to move forward on laying the groundwork for further tariffs.

Federal agencies are preparing for a possible government shutdown with detailed plans that call for temporary furloughs but not permanent mass firings — even after the White House pressed departments to consider reductions in force as part of their contingency planning.

The US government plans to continue collecting tariff revenues and pursuing its immigration crackdown in the event of a shutdown, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

US government shutdowns have become so common in recent decades that every federal agency has a playbook for how to implement them.