Washington — The White House is moving to cancel or withhold billions of dollars in federal funding from Democratic-leaning states as the government shutdown enters its second week, escalating political tensions and prompting sharp criticism from lawmakers in New York and California.
Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, announced Wednesday that the administration is eliminating nearly $8 billion in energy and infrastructure funding tied to what he described as “the Left’s climate agenda.” The cuts will affect 16 states, all of which supported former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Among the most significant targets are New York City’s long-delayed Second Avenue subway extension and the Gateway tunnel project linking New York and New Jersey. Together, those projects account for more than $18 billion in withheld funding, according to Vought. He did not specify which other state programs would be curtailed.
The cuts have triggered an immediate backlash from Democrats. “Political revenge. Clearly outlined by Trump, time and again,” said Rep. George Latimer (D-N.Y.), who represents New York’s Westchester County. “He sees the U.S. as Blue and Red, and Blue states are enemies.” Latimer questioned why no similar rescissions have been announced in Republican-led states such as Florida or Texas.
The Trump administration has so far not announced funding cancellations in states that backed the former president in 2024.
The moves underscore President Trump’s longstanding pledge to dismantle what he calls “Democrat programs” and reflect his willingness to leverage the shutdown to reshape federal spending priorities. “We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want, and they’d be Democrat things,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.
Senior officials framed the cuts as a matter of fiscal necessity. Vice President JD Vance said the administration was conducting “triage” to preserve essential services during the shutdown, which has halted many non-emergency government functions. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that the Office of Management and Budget is reassessing expenditures across federal agencies.
Still, critics say the political selectivity of the cuts underscores a partisan approach that risks further complicating already fraught budget negotiations on Capitol Hill. Leaders in both parties continue to search for a compromise to reopen the government, but Trump’s strategy of targeting Democratic strongholds is likely to harden divisions rather than narrow them.
