For decades, government shutdowns have been a political weapon that typically hurt Republicans more than Democrats. The mainstream media’s predictable playbook kicks in, painting conservatives as heartless obstructionists while federal workers go without paychecks. (You can practically write the headlines yourself at this point.) But something different is happening this time in Washington.
While Democrats believed they were scoring political points by extending the shutdown, they completely missed a critical detail in federal law. Their miscalculation has handed President Trump an unprecedented opportunity to do what Republicans have promised for generations: permanently slash wasteful government spending.
Oops.
From ‘Fox Business’:
President Donald Trump told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures” that Democrats “made one mistake” with the ongoing government shutdown.
“I think they could just stay out forever, I mean, to be honest with you. Now, what we’re doing is we’re cutting Democrat programs that we didn’t want because… I mean, they made one mistake. They didn’t realize that that gives me the right to cut programs that Republicans never wanted. You know, giveaways, welfare programs, et cetera. And we’re doing that, and we’re cutting them permanently.”
In a candid conversation with Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures,” President Trump exposed the Democrats’ strategic blunder. “They made one mistake,” Trump explained. “They didn’t realize that that gives me the right to cut programs that Republicans never wanted. You know, giveaways, welfare programs, et cetera. And we’re doing that, and we’re cutting them permanently.”
The president’s comments reveal a shrewd grasp of the shutdown’s legal mechanics. During extended shutdowns, executive authority expands to include restructuring and eliminating non-essential programs. While Democrats thought they were playing hardball, they gift-wrapped Trump the authority to eliminate billions in spending without congressional approval.
Schumer’s Costly Miscalculation
The consequences are already becoming clear. Trump announced he’s terminating the $20 billion Gateway Project, a massive rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey that Chuck Schumer spent 15 years securing. “We’re cutting a $20 billion project that Schumer fought for 15 years to get, and I’m cutting the project. The project is gonna be dead,” Trump told Bartiromo.
Talk about a pyrrhic victory.
This isn’t just about one project. The president’s assessment of Schumer’s political standing is equally brutal. “Chuck is, you know, at the end of the line. He’s being beaten by everybody that they poll against him,” Trump observed. The Senate Minority Leader’s resistance strategy has backfired both politically and practically.
Beyond the Gateway Project, the administration has frozen billions more in federal spending, including funding for New York City’s Second Avenue Subway extension. Over 10,000 federal positions are being eliminated. These aren’t random cuts—they’re strategic eliminations of projects that exemplify government excess.
Permanent Changes to Government
What makes this shutdown different is the permanence of these cuts. These aren’t temporary furloughs or delayed payments that will be restored when Congress reaches a deal. Trump is using executive authority to eliminate programs entirely.
He’s achieving through Democratic obstinance what Republicans couldn’t accomplish through legislation. Every day the shutdown continues, more wasteful programs face elimination. The irony is delicious: Democrats walked into this trap believing they could damage Trump politically through a shutdown tied to their “No Kings” rally.
Instead, they’ve given him unprecedented power to reshape government spending permanently. Here’s the beautiful part: Democratic resistance has become the vehicle for the most significant reduction in government spending in modern history. The longer they resist, the more programs get axed.
And Trump? He seems perfectly content to let them keep digging. As he told Bartiromo, Democrats “could just stay out forever” as far as he’s concerned. Each passing day means another bloated program meets its end, another wasteful project gets scrapped, another step toward the smaller government conservatives have always wanted.
Key Takeaways
- Democrats’ shutdown strategy gave Trump legal authority to permanently cut programs
- Chuck Schumer’s $20 billion Gateway Project has been terminated after 15 years
- Every day the shutdown continues enables more permanent spending cuts
- Democratic resistance accidentally enabled historic government downsizing
Sources: Fox Business
