Speaker of the House Mike Johnson blamed Democrats Thursday for the ongoing government shutdown, as President Donald Trump and his budget chief pushed ahead with plans to cut federal programs. Johnson said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s refusal to advance a seven-week stopgap funding bill forced the shutdown, calling it “completely unnecessary” and emphasizing that the president “takes no pleasure in this.”

The government entered its second day of a partial shutdown after Democrats blocked the funding measure, causing federal agencies to delay payments and reduce operations. Johnson’s comments came shortly after Trump announced on Truth Social a meeting with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Russ Vought to identify which federal agencies and programs should face cuts.

Trump referred to Vought as “he of PROJECT 2025 Fame” and criticized “many Democrat Agencies” as political scams. He suggested that Democrats might have unintentionally given him an opportunity to “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Under Vought’s leadership, billions in funding for projects like New York City subway infrastructure have already been frozen. Agencies are implementing shutdown protocols, reviewing spending priorities, and delaying employee payments.

Johnson defended Vought’s role, explaining that the OMB director must decide which programs are essential during a shutdown, a task he said Vought does not enjoy. Johnson also urged Democrats to end the shutdown by supporting the stopgap funding bill, warning that without their cooperation, the shutdown’s effects will worsen as resources run out and more services are cut.