Trump Says He’s Thrilled That ‘the Radical Left Democrats Gave Me This Unprecedented Opportunity’

Anyone standing near the Oval Office this week could hear the sound of a chain saw revving up as President Donald Trump prepared to turn left-wing programs into a pile of kindling.

In a pair of social media posts, Trump d his glee that the federal government shutdown — engineered by congressional Democrats — gives him an unfettered opportunity to rid the federal government of programs whose demise was long overdue.

“Republicans must use this opportunity of Democrat forced closure to clear out dead wood, waste, and fraud. Billions of Dollars can be saved. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump posted late Wednesday on .

Donald J. Trump Post 10:43 PM EST 10/01/25

Republicans must use this opportunity of Democrat forced closure to clear out dead wood, waste, and fraud. Billions of Dollars can be saved. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From (@TrumpDailyPosts) October 2, 2025

Trump followed that up Thursday with a note that he was sharpening his ax.

“I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent,” Trump posted on .

“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DJT.”

The New York Times reported that on Wednesday, the first day the federal government was shut down, the Trump administration stopped $26 billion in previously approved funding for infrastructure projects.

Vought, the White House budget director, was quoted as having told legislators Wednesday that what the Times called “mass layoffs targeting federal workers” were “imminent.”

Trump’s approach to the shutdown was captured in a One America News Network post on X. In a video clip, Trump was asked about firing federal workers.

“Well, there could be firings, and that’s their fault, and it could also be other things. I mean, we could cut projects that they wanted, favorite projects, and they’d be permanently cut,” Trump said in the clip.

“Well, there could be firings and that’s their fault. We could cut projects they wanted, favorite projects, and they’d be permanently cut.”

Tomorrow at 5 PM EST: OAN White House Correspondent @baldwin_daniel_ sits down with President Trump for an exclusive interview.

Tune in… pic.twitter.com/GvuGOg1VNc

— One America News (@OANN) October 2, 2025

“A lot of people are saying, ‘Trump wanted this,’ that I wanted this closing, and I didn’t want it,” Trump said.

“But a lot of people are saying it. Because I’m allowed to cut things that should have never been approved in the first place, and I will probably do that.”

According to an Office of Management and Budget memo, posted by Politico, that was sent to federal departments, federal executives are being urged to use the shutdown as a chance to permanently eliminate jobs where funding for them no longer exists, cannot be supported under other funding, or are “not consistent” with the policies of the president.

The memo noted that through the One Big Beautiful Bill, there are “ample resources to ensure that many core Trump Administration priorities will continue uninterrupted.”

 The memo said, “[P]rograms whose funding would lapse and which are otherwise unfunded” and “are no longer statutorily required to be carried out” should be lopped, along with, possibly, the workers who administer them.

Due to that, “[A]gencies are directed to use this opportunity to consider Reduction in Force (RIF) notices for all employees in programs, projects, or activities (PPAs) that satisfy all three of the following conditions: (1) discretionary funding lapses on October 1, 2025; (2) another source of funding, such as H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21) is not currently available; and (3) the PPA is not consistent with the President’s priorities.” H.R. 1 is the official name for the One Big Beautiful Bill.

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