Trump says administration is ‘only’ going to make permanent cuts to ‘Democrat programs’
Trumps says that “we will be making cuts that are permanent and we’re only going to cut Democrat programs, I hate to tell you”.
“We’re only cutting Democrat programs,” he repeats. “We’ll be cutting some very popular Democrat programs that aren’t popular with Republicans, frankly, that’s the way it works.”
Key events
Today’s cabinet meeting was dramatically shorter than the president’s last one, which he held in August. That went on for more than three hours, whereas today’s came in just over an hour.
Administration will be able to help farmers once shutdown is over, says agriculture secretary
During the president’s cabinet meeting, Brooke Rollins, Trump’s agriculture secretary, said that “we’ve got to get the government reopened” so that the administration can begin to help America’s farmers. She insisted, however, that they aren’t just struggling because of the steep retaliatory tariffs imposed by China, amid the ongoing trade war that kicked off when Trump returned to the White House this year.
Instead, Rollins blamed the previous administration. “We inherited a slew of issues,” the agriculture secretary said, listing the increase in cost of labor and goods that farmers need under Joe Biden. “We have to change this hamster wheel of government. We’ve got to ensure that the farmers have the market to sell.”
Trump says that Netenyahu is ‘more popular than five days ago’
The president has said that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netenyahu, is “much more popular today” than he was five days ago, when asked about his ability to stay in power following the first phase of the peace deal between Israel and Hamas.
Trump had “some extraordinary phone calls and meetings”, Rubio adds, that made the deal possible.
A turning point was Trump’s meeting with Arab and Muslim countries on the sidelines of the UN summit a few weeks ago, Rubio adds, to get those countries behind his plan.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio credits Trump’s “forging of relationships” on previous trips to the Middle East with laying the foundation for the Israel-Hamas deal announced yesterday.
Noem says homeland security department buying buildings in Chicago and Portland to operate from
Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem says the department is “doubling down” by buying buildings in Chicago and Portland for immigration enforcement to operate out of.
“We’re purchasing more buildings in Chicago to operate out of. We’re going to not back off,” she says. “In fact, we’re doubling down, and we’re going to be in more parts of Chicago in response to the people there.”
“I was there a few days ago and looked at some facilities that we can deploy more law enforcement out of,” she says.
Noem adds that they’re also purchasing facilities in Portland.
Trump again says he’ll be leaving “fairly soon” for the Middle East.
Trump says they’re going to Chicago and other cities “to restore law and order”.
Trump says administration is ‘only’ going to make permanent cuts to ‘Democrat programs’
Trumps says that “we will be making cuts that are permanent and we’re only going to cut Democrat programs, I hate to tell you”.
“We’re only cutting Democrat programs,” he repeats. “We’ll be cutting some very popular Democrat programs that aren’t popular with Republicans, frankly, that’s the way it works.”
Senate again fails to advance Democratic stopgap funding bill
A quick break from the cabinet meeting to say that the Senate has once again rejected the Democratic stopgap funding bill on day nine of the government shutdown.
The upper chamber will now vote again on the GOP’s stopgap funding bill that would fund the government until late November.
A reminder that it needs 60 votes to advance, meaning Democrats would have to sign on.
He says the attack on Iran was important to reaching a Gaza deal for its role in Tehran not having a nuclear weapon.
He adds that Iran wants to work on peace and the US will work with them.
Trump says that October 7th was “terrible” but also Hamas (read: Gaza) lost 70,000 people.
“That’s big retribution,” he says. “But at some point that whole thing has to stop. And we’re going to see to it.”
He adds that Gaza will slowly be “redone” and says many countries will be stepping up to get it done.
Trump says Gaza hostages should be released on Monday or Tuesday
Trump says the hostages still held in Gaza “should be released on Monday or Tuesday”.
He adds that securing them is a complicated process.
He reiterates that he’s going to “try and make a trip over there” to Egypt and that there will be an official signing, though he doesn’t give further details.
He says once again hat he believes the agreement will lead to “lasting peace”.
Trump signs ‘Columbus Day’ proclamation
Donald Trump’s cabinet meeting has kicked off with the signing of a “Columbus Day” proclamation.
Monday marks the day that is now also observed as Indigenous People’s Day, a counter-event to acknowledge the genocide, land theft and brutal treatment of indigenous people that followed Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the so-called New World.
But Trump’s proclamation casts the holiday squarely in its more traditional – and much contested – sense as a marker of “the innovation and explorer’s zeal that [Columbus] represented”.
Trump adds:
In other words, we’re calling it Columbus Day.
Many in the room break out into applause and somebody off camera says: “Yes, no more Indigineous People’s Day.”
