Trump Pushes Deep Agency Cuts During Shutdown

The federal government entered its second day of a shutdown that has furloughed or imperiled hundreds of thousands of federal workers while the White House pushed an agenda of deep agency cuts. President Trump said he would meet with OMB Director Russell Vought — of Project 2025 fame — to identify which “Democrat Agencies” to cut, calling many a “political scam” and the shutdown an “unprecedented opportunity.” The administration has paused roughly $26 billion in projects, including New York transit work and green‑energy funding for Democratic states, and warned that mass layoffs or reductions in force are imminent, prompting union litigation. Republicans portrayed the pause as a chance to downsize federal programs guided by Project 2025, while legal experts noted the president lacks unilateral authority to abolish agencies and predicted court and political challenges. The shutdown stemmed from a standoff over a stopgap funding bill tied to extending Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, a dispute that risks prolonging economic and political pain into October.