President Donald Trump said Tuesday that while he does not want a government shutdown, such an event could allow his administration to make permanent budget cuts that opponents could not easily reverse.
“We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Despite the warning, Trump emphasized that neither he nor Republican leaders want the government to shut down at midnight. “We’re not shutting it down. We don’t want it to shut down because we have the greatest period of time ever,” he said. “I tell you, we have $17 trillion being invested. So the last person that wants to shut down is us.”
Still, he suggested that a lapse in federal funding could create opportunities to reduce programs and spending in ways his critics would oppose. Trump praised Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, noting his ability to push through aggressive budget cuts. “He can trim the budget to a level that you couldn’t do any other way,” Trump said.
