Topline
President Donald Trump said Thursday he’d meet with White House budget chief Russell Vought to map out which Democratic-aligned agencies in the federal government will be cut during the government shutdown, and potentially permanently, escalating threats to punish Democrats for the shutdown as it enters its second day.
President Donald Trump makes an announcement on prescription drugs in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 30, 2025. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Trump said he would meet with Vought “to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent” in a Truth Social post Thursday, adding “I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity.”
Trump made the comments after the White House announced Tuesday it would target several Democrat-led states, including New York, with funding freezes attributed to the shutdown, and as the Trump administration has repeatedly warned it would use the shutdown as an opportunity to make additional permanent federal workforce cuts.
The moves are widely viewed as a way to force Democrats to agree to the GOP-backed funding proposal to lift the shutdown, which needs at least seven Democratic votes to pass the Senate.
Tangent
The Trump administration on Wednesday announced cuts to several Democratic-aligned projects and priorities. Vought announced the energy department was cancelling $8 billion in Biden-era energy projects “to fuel the Left’s climate agenda” in states won by Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, including Colorado, California, New Jersey and New York. The administration also halted $18 billion in funding for two major New York City infrastructure projects—the Hudson Tunnel and Second Avenue Subway—to “ensure funding is not flowing based on unconstitutional DEI principles,” Vought said. Some of Trump’s pet issues and projects, however, have been preserved, including construction of a White House ballroom and staff in offices that handle tariffs and immigration enforcement.
Key Background
The government shut down at midnight Wednesday, when the fiscal year 2025 ended and the budget expired, and Congress failed to reach a new agreement to continue funding the federal government. Democrats refused to vote for the Republican proposal to extend the existing spending plan through Nov. 21 without an agreement to continue some tax credits as part of the Affordable Care Act that expire at the end of the year, plus reverse Medicaid cuts in Trump’s signature policy bill passed earlier this year. Some Republicans arguing against the concessions, including Trump, have falsely claimed Democrats want to give free healthcare to undocumented immigrants, who aren’t eligible for Medicaid or to purchase healthcare through the Affordable Care Act.
What To Watch For
The Senate is expected to vote again Friday on legislation to end the shutdown and keep the government funded. Congress is out Thursday for the Yom Kippur holiday.
Further Reading
Government Shutdown Begins: White House Guts Funding For Democratic-Favored Projects (Forbes)
White House Budget Office Threatens Mass Firings If Government Shutdown Happens (Forbes)
Democrats Could Benefit From A Government Shutdown—Here’s Why (Forbes)
National Parks To Furlough Nearly 9,300 Staff But Stay Partially Open During Shutdown—Here’s What To Know (Forbes)
