President Donald Trump announced he is scheduled to meet with Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, to discuss which parts of the government he recommends cutting amid the Schumer Shutdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, 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,\u201d the president wrote on Truth Social Thursday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can\u2019t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity,\u201d he continued. \u201cThey are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Trump said Tuesday that while he would prefer to avoid a government shutdown, it could provide an opportunity to continue his mission of restoring fiscal sanity in Washington and eliminating wasteful spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want it to shut down because we have the greatest economy and investment environment ever,\u201d Trump said from the Oval Office. \u201cWe\u2019ve got $17 trillion being invested in this country right now. So the last person who wants a shutdown is us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut with that being said,\u201d he continued, \u201ca shutdown allows us to make reforms that are otherwise impossible \u2014 cutting bloated programs, trimming the fat, and removing layers of bureaucracy that serve no one but Washington insiders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A government funding lapse doesn\u2019t give the president new powers, but it does shift discretion to the White House and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine which programs must continue and which can pause. The Antideficiency Act<\/strong> requires agencies to halt nonessential spending when Congress fails to pass appropriations, while preserving core constitutional and national security functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump praised OMB Director Russell Vought for his leadership on budget discipline. \u201cRussell Vought has been very popular lately because he knows how to bring the budget under control in ways Congress never would,\u201d Trump said. \u201cShutdowns have risk for Democrats too \u2014 because during them, we can finally cut things they love to spend on, things that waste taxpayer dollars, and no one can reverse it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later that day, Trump reiterated that he wants a deal but will not ignore the chance to protect taxpayers if Democrats refuse to negotiate responsibly. \u201cA lot of good can come from this,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can finally weed out overspending and save Americans\u2019 hard-earned money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vought, in a memo Tuesday evening, declared that a shutdown appeared unavoidable because of what he called \u201cDemocrats\u2019 insane policy demands, including $1 trillion in new spending.\u201d He told federal employees to prepare for an orderly pause in operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance joined the White House press briefing to emphasize that while the administration expects the shutdown to be brief, some workforce reductions are unavoidable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to have to make things work,\u201d Vance said. \u201cThat means prioritizing essential functions and, unfortunately, letting go of some nonessential positions. Our goal is to make sure the American people feel as little pain as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vance pushed back on criticism that the administration is using the shutdown for partisan targeting: \u201cWe\u2019re not going after agencies because of politics. We\u2019re trying to keep critical services running, even when Democrats refuse to fund the government responsibly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n These measures are part of Trump\u2019s larger effort to make the federal government lean, accountable, and responsive to voters \u2014 not entrenched bureaucrats. In January, the administration offered voluntary buyouts<\/strong> for employees ready to step aside and avoid deeper cuts. Those were followed by reduction-in-force (RIF)<\/strong> plans across agencies with low performance or duplication of services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his March address to Congress, Trump pledged to \u201creclaim power from unaccountable bureaucracy and return it to the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAny federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be removed from office,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWe\u2019re draining the swamp. The days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Central to this reform is the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk was tapped to lead DOGE\u2019s oversight efforts \u2014 leveraging innovation and private-sector discipline to expose costly, ineffective programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DOGE has flagged millions in questionable foreign aid and pet projects that have little to do with serving Americans, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy are we paying for these things abroad when our own border is wide open and Americans are struggling?\u201d Trump asked at CPAC, highlighting the findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nVice President JD Vance: Focus on Essential Services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe Drive to Make Government Leaner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nDOGE and the Push Against Waste<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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