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By Billal Rahman and Shane Croucher
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President Donald Trump said he would meet Thursday with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought—one of the authors of the conservative Project 2025 plan to radically reshape the government—to decide where to make cuts as he seeks to take advantage of the federal government shutdown.
Trump, posting to Truth Social, said the Vought meeting will "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."
"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!" Trump wrote.
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Why It Matters
The U.S. government has entered its first shutdown since 2018 after Congress was unable to resolve a funding standoff and pass legislation to keep federal agencies operating. At the center of the dispute is whether the spending bill should include an extension of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
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What To Know
Democrats argue that the subsidies are essential to protecting access to health care, while Republicans insist that funding and policy decisions on the issue should be addressed separately.
GOP lawmakers have accused the Democrats of demanding health care for migrants without legal status; however, the claims have been debunked, with the left insisting they want to keep lawful residents and American citizens covered by health plans.
Vought, who founded the Center for Renewing America, was an architect of Project 2025, a 900-page policy blueprint developed by conservative groups to overhaul the federal government and expand presidential authority that became a significant flashpoint in the 2024 presidential election. This initiative outlines a comprehensive blueprint for policy, personnel, training and operational planning to revitalize a conservative agenda across various federal agencies.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump distanced himself from Project 2025, saying he knew nothing about it and calling parts of the guidelines spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation "ridiculous and abysmal." In an interview with Time magazine last December, he said, "I don't disagree with everything in Project 2025, but I disagree with some things."
"They have some things that are very conservative and very good. They have other things that I don't like," he added.
In his Thursday post on Truth Social, Trump described Vought as "he of PROJECT 2025 fame."
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on July 11, 2024: "I know nothing about Project 2025. I have not seen it, have no idea who is in charge of it, and, unlike our very well received Republican Platform, had nothing to do with it. The Radical Left Democrats are having a field day, however, trying to hook me into whatever policies are stated or said."
Update 10/2/25, 10:11 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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