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US President Donald Trump blames Democrats for the government shutdown and said he will cut ‘some very popular Democrat programs’.

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, in Washington, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, look on. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

US President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday, October 9, 2025, in Washington, DC, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, look on [Evan Vucci/AP]
  • US President Donald Trump blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown and says he will cut “some very popular Democrat programs”.
  • Trump’s aggressive and unprecedented National Guard deployments will be tested in two court hearings in different US states, as governors who are resisting the militarisation of their cities challenge the federal government in court.