Trump plans to reveal a list of 'Democratic programs' that will be shut down on Friday

President Donald Trump said the ongoing government shutdown offers a chance to permanently shut down “Democratic programs” that oppose his administration. He indicated that a list of programs slated for elimination would be released Friday, but did not specify which agencies would be affected. President Donald Trump said the government shutdown allows his administration to phase out certain Democratic-backed programs and promised details Friday. (AP File Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) (AP) U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the ongoing government shutdown presents an opportunity to permanently eliminate what he called “Democratic programs,” and indicated that a list of programs slated for shutdown would be announced Friday. “The Democrats are getting killed in the shutdown because we’re shutting down programs that are Democratic programs that we opposed,” Trump said when asked about efforts to end the standoff, according to an ABC News report. “So, we’re able to do things that we couldn’t do before … And now we’re shutting them down, and we’re not going to let them come back.” No details yet on which programs are being eliminated. Trump added that a list of the programs to be cut is expected to come Friday, the news article said. Clarifying his comments later, the president said the Democratic programs “include things we don’t agree with,” according to the report, though he did not specify which agencies or initiatives would be affected. “Republican programs,” he stressed, will not be ended. Focusing on wasteful spending, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also declined to name specific targets earlier this month, but said the administration was “looking at agencies that don’t align with the administration’s values.” “We’re going to look at agencies that we feel are a waste of taxpayer dollars,” Leavitt told reporters. “The president wants to be a good steward of the American taxpayer’s dollar at a time when our balance sheet looks very grim because the Democrats chose to shut everything down.” Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought have repeatedly hinted that the shutdown could be used to restructure programs.