What is Donald Trump doing while the government is shut down? Shamelessly living his ‘incredibly weird’ dream

Donald Trump has been relishing the government shutdown with insensitive memes and posts on social media, even depicting Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought as the grim reaper. That particular AI slop grim reaper video has been described as “incredibly weird” by some online.

Vought has been in Trump’s orbit since his first administration, when he served as Deputy Director of the same agency he now leads. Between Trump’s first and second terms, Vought developed an extensive governance blueprint titled Project 2025. During the 2024 campaign, Project 2025 was treated as a political stigma, and Trump went so far as to claim he had nothing to do with it — despite his former appointee being its architect.

Now, with his final term underway and a government shutdown at hand, Trump has no problem admitting he’s working with Vought to identify which agencies he considers “scams” and plans to decimate. Since his second inauguration, he has already targeted the Department of Education and USAID. Kamala Harris even took to X to remind her followers that, despite Trump’s denials, Project 2025 was always the plan.

Harris warned that the project was designed to create unchecked power for Trump’s administration while curtailing Americans’ personal freedoms. The document is extensive, but essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the method behind the Trump administration’s madness. Among its highlights: allowing businesses to cite religious beliefs as an excuse for discrimination, rejecting new gun laws, and deregulating online platforms — unless, of course, Trump wants his own personal regulations.

This was always the plan.

Project 2025 was Donald Trump's blueprint to seize unchecked power within the federal government and restrict Americans' freedoms. And he is implementing it right in front of our eyes. pic.twitter.com/rsU6So6tyN

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 2, 2025

On X, Trump’s antics weren’t met kindly. Many users were shocked that, during a shutdown affecting as many as 750,000 federal employees — leaving many unable to pay their bills — the president was posting memes mocking the prospect of making their jobs permanently redundant. 

Trump just posted this incredibly weird AI video of himself and JD Vance in a band and Russ Vought as the grim reaper. This is what the president is doing while the government is shut down. We’re so screwed. pic.twitter.com/8XGCNmPRRw

— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) October 3, 2025

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who often faces the unenviable task of defending the indefensible, was asked why she described the administration’s mood as “unfortunate” when the president’s posts show no such somberness. Leavitt insisted that the president “loves to have a bit of fun with trolling” but can be both concerned and playful at the same time.

Her assurances that the White House doesn’t take pleasure in putting people out of work were not well received. One user suggested that only “sick people” would find the president’s response to the shutdown funny. Another said it’s been clear for some time that the Trump administration simply doesn’t care about Americans.

When you glorify violence, you take responsibility for it. Only sick people would find what the president is doing funny.

— Damien Arnold (@Veritas7891) October 3, 2025

Trump & co couldn’t care less about the American people. It is more obvious with each passing day.

— Eliza ☘︎ (@AstroNoodleCat) October 4, 2025

Trump’s plan appears to be using the shutdown as a backdoor to achieve the federal cuts he wanted all along — mass layoffs he hoped to pin on Democrats. But it seems that the second part of the plan is faltering, with the blame landing squarely at his doorstep. Considering this was his main bargaining chip during the shutdown, the coming week — and how he chooses to pivot — will be worth close attention.

When the Trump administration returns to the negotiation table, the self-described master dealmaker may also have to contend with even lower approval ratings. And for Trump, popularity is more important than most people realize.