A pre-requisite to run for president as a Republican is to vow to make drastic cuts to the budget. With Donald Trump now in office, it appears he's willing to stick to his campaign promise.
Trump making cuts
President Donald Trump often gets accused of not being a traditional conservative, which bothered many Republicans during the primary election. Their pessimism about the billionaire real estate mogul led to the creation of the "Never Trump" movement, which pushed back and caused loud opposition to the former host of "The Apprentice." Despite their worries, Trump has made many moves since being sworn in as president that has pleased his core base and those who describe themselves as more traditional Republicans.
As reported by the New York Times on February 18, Trump is ready to cut popular programs that conservatives have wanted to do away with for sometime.
On the White House budget office's hit list: AmeriCorps and the National Endowments for the Arts, among others https://t.co/rLMegcze83
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 18, 2017
According to the report in the New York Times on Saturday morning, Donald Trump is getting ready to slash funding for various programs, including education and arts, as well as public broadcasting. In an internal memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the White House is compiling a so-called "Hit List" of programs that are on the chopping block.
Trump budget could ax arts, public broadcasting, anti-drug office: report https://t.co/H1BvSuNUz5 pic.twitter.com/uM7oVtte1L
— The Hill (@thehill) February 18, 2017
On the "hit list" in question are programs that are viewed as important to many Americans, including, but not limited to, the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Americorps, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
If cut, the Trump administration would save close to $2.5 billion, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). With Republicans worried that Donald Trump might not carry out their agenda, it appears they have a reason to relax as the president is looking to make big cuts to the budget.
Moving forward
While Donald Trump is looking to make historic cuts to federal programs, he continues to receive harsh backlash from his critics. In recent days, the president has increased his attacks on the media, which he labels "fake news" anytime a story is published that reflects negatively on his administration.
