Trump sees 'unprecedented opportunity' to cut government during shutdown

Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he was meeting with Russell Vought, director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, later Thursday to discuss which agencies "are a political SCAM." The president said he wanted Vought to recommend which agencies should face cuts and whether those cuts should be temporary or permanent.

"I can't believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity," read Trump's post. "They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also alleged Democrats engineered the shutdown to force taxpayers to fund healthcare for undocumented immigrants given a $37 trillion debt.

"To put this all into perspective, the Democrats refused to keep the government open over healthcare to illegal aliens and now have jeopardized critical health care programs for American citizens," she said. "Instead, the women, infants and children program, community health center funding, Medicare treatment options and other health programs are now all at risk because of the Democrats rejecting the clean C.R. [continuing resolution]."

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report.