Johnson Blames Democrats as Shutdown Deepens, Trump Readies Cuts

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R‑La.) on Thursday placed full responsibility for an escalating federal shutdown on Senate Democrats, even as President Donald Trump and his Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director began mapping out which federal programs to slash.

“This is the way the system works,” Johnson told reporters. “Chuck Schumer’s decision is to hand the keys to the kingdom to the president. He’s put himself in that situation—and it’s completely unnecessary.”
“The president takes no pleasure in this,” Johnson added.

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Shutdown Enters Day Two Amid Fiscal Standoff

With no agreement reached, the government entered its second day of a partial shutdown. Senate Democrats have declined to supply enough votes to advance a short-term funding measure that would keep agencies operating for another seven weeks. Without that stopgap, dozens of agencies have already activated contingency plans: delaying payments, curtailing programs, and preparing to scale back operations.

In parallel, the Trump administration is pressing ahead with a new phase of fiscal cuts. Trump posted on Truth Social that he would meet with Russ Vought, the OMB director, to discuss trimming “many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM”—whether those cuts would be temporary or made permanent.

“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity,” he wrote, adding that perhaps their refusal was a covert way to help his agenda: “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Already under Vought’s direction, the administration has frozen billions in funding for key infrastructure projects in New York City. Many federal programs face scrutiny, and repayment and spending decisions have been deferred or paused.

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Johnson Defends OMB’s Role in Deciding Cuts

Johnson defended Vought’s role in the process, saying the OMB director “has to do the same thing” every time a shutdown looms. Johnson told reporters that he and GOP House members held a 45‑minute teleconference with Vought, where priorities were discussed.

“He takes no pleasure in this,” Johnson said, describing the political and administrative burden of deciding which programs are essential and which can go dark during the shutdown.

He argued that Vought must interpret his duties subjectively, based on the administration’s priorities. “What do you think he would do?” Johnson asked. “He’s going to look at the president’s priorities first and ensure those are funded.”

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Democrats Urged to Reverse Course

Johnson repeatedly pressed Senate Democrats to reverse course and pass the stopgap, asserting that the shutdown could end immediately if they altered their stance.

“It could end today—if Senate Democrats would come to their senses and do the right thing for the American people,” Johnson said at one point. “But if they don’t, and if they keep the government closed, it’s going to get more and more painful, because resources run out, and more and more things have to be reduced and eliminated.”

Johnson’s remarks reflected a broader GOP message that Democrats are prioritizing political positioning—letting the costs of closure mount—over governance and stability.

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The Stakes: Who Bears the Blame?

At the heart of this standoff lies a contest over political optics, leverage, and accountability. Johnson and the administration are framing the shutdown as preventable, casting Schumer and Senate Democrats as inflexible actors who handed control over funding decisions to the executive branch.

Democrats, in turn, argue that agreeing to a GOP-drafted continuing resolution would do too much damage—either by embedding cuts they oppose or giving Trump leverage to impose policy priorities unilaterally.

As agencies reel from deferred services, furloughed workers, and logistical chaos, the pressure will mount on both sides to propose alternatives. For now, the blame game rages, and the question remains: which party will bend first—and what price will the American people pay?