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Sen. Mike Lee claims the government shutdown empowers President Donald Trump to cut spending.

Lee accuses Democrats of shutting down the government for political gain.

Trump plans cuts to Democrat-aligned programs following the shutdown, impacting thousands.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, reacted to the closure of the federal government on Wednesday to say it "empowers" President Donald Trump to make the spending cuts Republicans have long wanted — amounting to "Democrats' worst nightmare."

In an interview with Fox News' Laura Ingraham, Lee accused his Democratic colleagues of "deliberately" shutting down the government to score political points, but predicted it would come back to haunt them as Trump says he will defund programs

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