Trump calls Democrats ‘kamikaze pilots’ amid government shutdown fight
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President Donald Trump criticized Democrats for extending the government shutdown in an interview Sunday and vowed to permanently eliminate what Democrats called “welfare programs.”
“The Democrats are kamikaze right now. They’re kamikaze pilots right now. They have nothing. They have no future,” Trump said during an exclusive interview on “Sunday Morning Futures.” he said.
Trump argued that Democrats lack strong leadership and viable candidates for the upcoming elections. He said the shutdown stalemate gave him the power to cut billions of dollars from programs Republicans have long wanted to eliminate.
GOP ACCUSES SCHUMER OF Shutting Down To Appease ‘Marxist Wing’ OVER AOC’S EARLY CHALLENGES
U.S. President Donald Trump walks on the south lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, on October 17. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“They didn’t understand that that gave me the right to cut programs that Republicans never wanted — the giveaways, the welfare programs,” he said. “And we do that. We cut them off permanently.”
The Trump administration claims it has the authority to freeze or suspend certain federal programs and projects under shutdown rules.
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The shutdown, now approaching its third week, began after Democrats refused to approve a funding bill unless it included an extension of Advanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire in 2025. As a result, hundreds of thousands of federal employees have had their pay suspended.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speak to reporters after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on September 29, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Democrats argue that failure to act before registration opens in November could leave millions of Americans facing higher premiums.
The White House says Democrats are pushing billions of dollars for Medicaid coverage for illegal immigrants, and Trump warns it would “jeopardize” Americans’ health care.
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Trump also weighed in on the New York City mayoral race, saying he believed the city could soon elect what he called a “communist mayor,” referring to Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani, a Queens state assemblywoman who describes herself as a democratic socialist, received overwhelming support from young voters in her bid to win the nomination. He is favored to win the three-way race against former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani attend a campaign rally at Lou Gehrig Plaza in the Bronx on September 2. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“I watched it [Mamdani] Trump warned that New York would be in “big trouble” if Mamdani won, saying: “She can be interviewed a few times and she’s pretty shrewd, but she doesn’t have what it takes.”
Trump has frequently criticized Mamdani for his stances on policing and business. Mamdani previously made comments calling the New York City Police Department “racist, anti-gay, and a major threat to public safety” on social media in 2020.
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Mamdani appeared on Fox News Channel’s “The Story” last week, where he apologized to the NYPD for his past remarks and called out Trump directly, saying he was ready to partner with anyone to make New York City more affordable.
