President Donald Trump’s gleeful embrace of the government shutdown that he caused is wreaking havoc with the cover story his Republican allies in Congress are spreading in their desperation to blame Democrats.

Trump is also openly embracing Project 2025, the controversial MAGA blueprint for his second term that he attempted, unconvincingly, to distance himself from while running for reelection.

Trump wants to weaponize the shutdown to fire more federal workers, a key goal of Project 2025, and an echo of his early administration efforts to have the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) dismiss thousands of employees.

But the shutdown is unpopular, with more Americans blaming Trump and Republicans than Democrats. And Project 2025 has been widely perceived as negative. And

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