US President Donald Trump has seized on the government shutdown as an opportunity to reshape the US federal workforce and punish detractors.

He met with budget director Russ Vought on Thursday to talk through “temporary or permanent” spending cuts that could set up a lose-lose dynamic for Democratic politicians.

Mr Trump flagged they would determine “which of the many Democrat Agencies” would be cut, continuing their efforts to slash federal spending by threatening mass firings of workers and suggesting “irreversible” cuts to Democratic priorities.

“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity,” Mr Trump wrote on his social media account.

“They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT A

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