Trump Plans Cuts to Democrat-Aligned Federal Agencies Amid Prolonged Shutdown

President Donald Trump is leveraging the ongoing government shutdown to target and potentially permanently cut federal agencies he characterizes as "Democrat Agencies" and "political scams," signaling a significant restructuring of the federal government. He is working closely with Russel Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget and a key figure behind the far-right Project 2025 blueprint, to identify agencies for cuts and layoffs, particularly those aligned with Democratic priorities. The administration has already halted billions in funding for green energy and infrastructure projects in Democratic states. Trump and his team plan to use the shutdown to clear out what they call "dead wood, waste, and fraud," with White House officials indicating that layoffs will begin imminently. This approach has sparked debate over the president's authority to unilaterally cut funding approved by Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson has reiterated that the shutdown resulted from Democratic opposition to a "clean" spending bill, which Republicans claim contains no negotiable provisions.