Trump: We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible and bad for them like cutting vast numbers of people out. His efforts are helping Mr. Trump exert authority more aggressively than any modern president, and are threatening an erosion of the longstanding checks and balances in America’s constitutional system. And a deal Mr. Vought cut with House Republicans helped secure passage of Mr. Trump’s domestic policy law that slashed spending on Medicaid and food stamps. If the Trump administration is planning a coordinated attack on Venezuela and Iran, the commanders of USCENTCOM and USSOUTHCOM would be involved. When the National Guard deploys to US cities, “generals aren’t fucking on the line holding a shield or baton,” Goldsmith says.