President Donald J. TrumpPresident Donald Trump is reportedly viewing the ongoing federal government shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to fulfill his long-standing goal of downsizing the federal bureaucracy. “I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity,” Trump wrote. Ahead of the shutdown, Trump had warned he was prepared to make “irreversible” cuts to federal spending and fresh rounds of layoffs, insisting he would ensure some “good” comes of the gridlock, as reported by Fox News. The political tensions surrounding the shutdown were amplified by Vice President J.D. Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.