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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned Democrats Thursday that the Trump administration’s threats to eliminate federally funded programs deemed unnecessary are “very real” as the government remains shut down.
“The Democrats should know that they put the White House and the president in this position, and if they don’t want further harm to their constituents back home, then they need to reopen the government,” Leavitt told “America’s Newsroom.”
“It’s very simple. Pass the clean continuing resolution and all of this goes away.”
DEMOCRATS AT A BIG DISADVANTAGE IN SHUTDOWN AS TRUMP STARTS SLASHING THEIR PROGRAMS
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt takes a question from a reporter during the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 7 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Leavitt’s comments come after President Donald Trump warned his administration will soon look at areas to make layoffs or permanent cuts, particularly at agencies Leavitt said “do not best serve the American taxpayer.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., echoed the same while speaking to FOX Business on Wednesday, highlighting the opportunity as a silver lining for the GOP.
HERE’S WHAT TRUMP WANTS TO DO TO RESHAPE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DURING THE SHUTDOWN
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 3. Democrats are pressuring Republicans to meet their party’s demands in order to reopen the government. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
“While a shutdown is very damaging for real American people who depend upon government services, it can provide an opportunity to downsize the scope and the scale of government, which is something that we’ve all always wanted to do,” he told “Mornings with Maria.”
“So, in a way, Chuck Schumer has now handed the keys to the kingdom to the executive branch under President Trump to do some things that we would not otherwise be able to do because we would never get Democrat votes for them.”
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Leavitt said Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought will meet later Thursday to address such cuts while maintaining “critical funding,” including pay for military members.
