In a recent Cabinet meeting at the White House, President Donald Trump outlined his administration's approach during the ongoing government shutdown, which has now extended into its ninth day. Trump indicated that he intends to use this period to target funding for government programs that he characterized as popular among Democrats, suggesting a strategy to cut these initiatives as a response to the funding impasse.
During the meeting, Trump explicitly stated, "We're only cutting Democrat programs," emphasizing his belief that these cuts would reflect the priorities of the opposing party. Although he did not specify which programs would be affected, he suggested they were not favored by Republican lawmakers. Trump reiterated his stance, claiming that Democrats would "get a little taste of their own medicine," a statement reflecting his ongoing blame of Democratic leaders for the shutdown.
The president's comments followed a post on Truth Social where he described the funding lapse as an "unprecedented opportunity" to reduce what he termed "Democrat Agencies." White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought has already announced significant funding freezes, including approximately $18 billion for New York City infrastructure projects and $8 billion in climate-related funding for states that lean Democratic. Further, funding for a Chicago transit project has also been put on hold, with additional cuts to clean energy projects under consideration.
The government shutdown commenced on October 1, 2025, due to a failure by both Republican and Democratic congressional leaders to agree on appropriations bills necessary to maintain government funding. Republicans are advocating for a stopgap measure to extend funding through November 21, while Democrats are seeking to include health-care protections in any funding agreement, leading to a stalemate in the Senate.