"United States President Donald Trump has seized on the government shutdown as an opportunity to reshape the federal workforce and punish detractors, posting on social media his intent to cut what he described as Democrat agencies. On Thursday, Trump used his post on Truth Social to announce he would meet with budget director Russ Vought to talk through temporary or permanent spending cuts that could set up a lose-lose dynamic for Democratic lawmakers."
"He wrote that he and Vought would determine which of the many Democrat Agencies would be cut continuing their efforts to slash federal spending by threatening mass firings of workers and suggesting irreversible cuts to Democratic priorities. I can't believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity, Trump said. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
"The post was notable in its explicit embrace of Project 2025, a controversial policy blueprint drafted by the conservative Heritage Foundation that Trump distanced himself from during his 2024 re-election campaign. The effort aimed to reshape the federal government around right-wing policies, and Democrats repeatedly pointed to its goals to warn of the consequences of a second Trump administration. Vought on Wednesday offered an opening salvo of the pressure he hoped to put on Democrats."
President Trump met with White House budget director Russ Vought amid a continuing government shutdown and announced plans to identify and cut Democrat agencies, seeking temporary or permanent spending reductions. The approach aligns with elements of Project 2025 and frames cuts as a tool to punish opponents and reshape the federal workforce, including threats of mass firings. Vought withheld $18bn for the Hudson River tunnel and Second Avenue subway and cancelled $8bn in green energy projects in states with Democratic senators. The actions aim to pressure Democratic lawmakers and shift federal priorities toward conservative policy goals.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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