The first day of the federal government shutdown saw Republicans and Democrats trading blame, as iconic sites across the United States (US) — from the Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii — were temporarily closed, news agency AP reported.

Vice-President JD Vance appeared at the White House briefing room to assert that Democrats had refused to keep the government funded because they were seeking to extend health coverage to people in the country illegally, a claim disputed by top leaders of the Opposition.