Overview
- At a Rose Garden lunch for Republican senators, Trump asked OMB Director Russ Vought to stand and labeled him “Darth Vader,” a nickname reporting indicates the president coined himself.
- Trump lauded Vought for targeting Democratic priorities and cited the $20 billion Gateway Tunnel in New York as an example he said was being cut.
- Reporting describes Vought as linked to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and using shutdown discretion to delay or cancel programs in Democratic-leaning states.
- The shutdown has stretched into a fourth week with nearly 750,000 federal workers furloughed and many essential employees, including military personnel, working without pay.
- State agencies warn that SNAP benefits could run out for recipients in early November if funding is not restored, heightening pressure as the impasse persists.