President Donald Trump has doubled down on his warnings to target “Democrat programmes” as the US government shutdown stretches into its fifteenth day, with no resolution in sight.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said the suspension of certain federal initiatives disproportionately affects Democratic-leaning states, while “Republican programmes” remain untouched. He suggested that a detailed list of affected programmes could be released as soon as Friday, though he offered no specifics.
The shutdown has already forced pauses or reductions in about $28 billion in federal funding for infrastructure and energy projects in states like California, Illinois, and New York. Meanwhile, the federal workforce is feeling the strain: approximately 4,200 employees across eight departments, including Treasury, Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, received reduction-in-force notices last week.
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Roughly 750,000 federal workers have been furloughed since the shutdown began, while essential staff continue on duty without pay. The White House announced an $8 billion reallocation of existing funds to cover military and Coast Guard personnel, who historically also work without pay during funding gaps.
Legislatively, the Senate remains gridlocked. A Republican-backed spending bill, designed to extend government funding through November 21, failed Monday on a 49-45 vote—short of the 60 needed for passage. Democrats continue to resist, leveraging the impasse to push for negotiations on healthcare subsidies, leaving the government shutdown in a standoff.