President Donald Trump told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures that Democrats “made one mistake” with the ongoing government shutdown — one that’s now allowing him to permanently slash liberal spending programs.
“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,” Trump said.
When Bartiromo asked if the shutdown was related to the upcoming “No Kings” rally, the president brushed it off.
“I mean, some people say they want to delay it for that. This is not a king, you know, they’re saying, they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” he said.
Bartiromo noted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s opposition, saying, “No, but just so that Chuck Schumer could go and say, ‘I’m fighting Trump.’”
“Well, Chuck is, you know, at the end of the line. He’s being beaten by everybody that they poll against him,” Trump replied. “And you know what he did is he did the right thing a couple of years ago on something like this. And he got hurt by his party. And it doesn’t… I don’t think it matters to him. I think he’s just so dead that he’ll do anything.”
Trump also revealed that his administration has “terminated” billions in federal funding for projects backed by Schumer — including the Gateway Project, a proposed train tunnel under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey and New York.
“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. It’s just pretty much dead right now,” Trump said.
Hours into the shutdown, the administration announced it was freezing billions for the Gateway Project as well as for the extension of New York City’s Second Avenue Subway — a sharp rebuke to one of Schumer’s signature infrastructure priorities.
Watch the clip above.
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