WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump today renewed his threat to punish Democrats during the government shutdown, promising that on Friday, he would release a list of “Democrat programs” slated for permanent cuts.

The comments marked the latest escalation in Trump’s attempts to weaponize the lapse in federal funding, two weeks into the fiscal stalemate.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday at the White House that his administration planned to produce a list on Friday of "Democrat programs" that will be closed as a result of the ongoing federal government shutdown. The 15th government shutdown, now in its 14th day, lingers into a third week as Republican and Democratic lawmakers continue to blame each other for their impasse and disruptions that have resulted. "Only Democrats have made demands, and by the way very expensive demands" in return for voting to reopen the government, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, said in a speech to the Senate on Tuesday.

The president said his administration was “closing up Democrat programs that we disagree with, and they’re never going to open again.” He promised to release a list of programs by Friday.

He indicated that the closures would be permanent. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.