Donald Trump is in hot water again, after posting a bunch of inflammatory falsehoods about the city of Portland, Oregon to Twitter. At that time, he announced that the National Guard troops should now be in place. These troops were allegedly deployed after a few dozen protesters appeared outside a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the city. This announcement is a timely surprise as Trump has ramped up the efforts recently to remake how the federal government operates.
Since taking office in January, Trump has worked closely with the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” to streamline federal operations. His administration has focused on starving what they refer to as “Democrat agencies.” He wants people to know that this effort – and these dollars – are all about a larger strategy to get rid of the federal government’s inefficiencies.
On Monday, Trump signed an Executive Order to protect Qatar. He announced that any such armed attack on its territory would be responded to as a direct threat to U.S. security. This decision is an important indication of the administration’s firm commitment to multilateral partnerships. Simultaneously, they are crafting solutions to stuff at home, such as the imminent government shutdown.
Throughout the current shutdown drama, Donald Trump has used his social media platform Truth Social to share his much welcome perspective on the ongoing disaster. He expressed disbelief over the opportunity presented by “Radical Left Democrats,” stating, “I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity.” He views this moment as an opportunity to make deep cuts to federal employment and to Democratic spending priorities.
Yet, Trump’s administration has already gotten awful far on that front. They cut $8 billion in infrastructure spending meant for blue states and froze $18 billion for two major construction projects in New York City. Critics say that all this is just retaliation against constituents of the two most powerful Democrats—House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer. The administration’s hold on funds includes vital projects like the new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River and an expanded Second Avenue subway project.
Scott Bessent, Trump’s supposed treasury secretary, has already gone public with ratf—k, scared, sh— negotiating tactics on Democrats during the shutdown. He characterized their strategy as that of “terrorists” holding out for certain concessions. With absolute certainty Bessent told us that Republicans would never go along with extending Obamacare subsidies. Such a position makes it harder to negotiate a path to end the shutdown. And he painted Democratic leaders as “weak” and “discombobulated,” as if to imply that there’s a civil war going on in their ranks.
Through all of this, Trump is still claiming credit for his vision of government reform. He called upon his supporters and allies to identify which federal agencies should face cuts and whether those reductions should be temporary or permanent. He promised to “get rid of dead wood, waste and fraud,” to create a slimmer, trimmer federal government.
In a lighter moment, U.S. Senator JD Vance attempted to ease tensions during negotiations by joking, “I think it’s funny. The president’s joking and we’re having a good time.” Vance thinks you can still be funny and negotiate in good faith.
Trump’s behavior has come under escalating fire from all sides. Democrats, understandably, have deeply mistrusted him since after the showdown he attempted to use the shutdown as a political weapon instead of attempt to find constructive solutions.
As the situation continues to evolve, many wonder how Trump’s aggressive approach will affect federal operations and public services. That’s a big deal, because the government shutdown stops all of those projects on the dime. It unfairly intimidates federal employees and squeezes state budgets that rely on federal money.