Trump Targets 'Democrat Agencies' Amid Government Shutdown

Sat Oct 11 2025 04:10:32 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

As the US government shutdown enters its third day, President Trump and congressional leaders trade barbs while Republicans target federal agencies they deem unnecessary.

President Trump has announced plans to cut funding for certain 'Democrat Agencies' as the government shutdown continues. With hundreds of thousands of federal workers affected, Capitol Hill sees both parties blaming one another for the predicament. Meanwhile, Trump emphasized the need to 'clear out dead wood' and stated there would be no compromise regarding healthcare subsidies. The impasse persists as bipartisan negotiations appear stalled, with pressure expected to increase from affected Americans.

President Donald Trump has said he and his budget director will work out which Democrat Agencies to cut as the US government shutdown approached its third day.

He suggested Republicans should seize the opportunity to clear out dead wood and gave no hint of concessions to Democratic demands that legislation funding the government should include healthcare insurance subsidies.

Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, continued to blame each other for failing to keep federal agencies open.

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are staying home, while others worked without pay. Some federal attractions closed to visitors while others, including the Statue of Liberty, stayed open.

Analysts don't expect either side to budge without pressure from everyday Americans, most of whom have yet to feel direct impacts on their lives.

It was unclear exactly what Trump could decide in Thursday's meeting with Russell Vought, director of the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB). When Congress fails to keep the US government open, the OMB director works with the president to pick which government activities should stop and which are essential.

On the first day of the shutdown, Vought said the White House had moved to pause or cancel billions of dollars in funding meant for Democratic states, including $18bn (£13.4bn) in infrastructure projects in New York.

Lawmakers are expected to try again on Friday afternoon to resolve the impasse with a vote in the Senate, but neither party appears willing to negotiate at this stage.

As politicians traded barbs, US government services started to grind to a halt with about 750,000 federal workers expected to take unpaid leave. Federal employees deemed essential continued to work without pay, including law enforcement and air traffic controllers, indicating that air travel will not immediately be affected.

However, the ongoing shutdown has affected tourist access to various federal sites, closing numerous museums while some, like the Statue of Liberty, remain open due to federal decisions.