Government shutdown updates: Leavitt says Trump exploring cutting aid to Portland

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, offered a rare Republican rebuke of the Trump administration's targeted cuts to federal programs in blue states, saying "let's not further divide people politically," amid the ongoing government shutdown.

"Whether you're in a blue state or whether you are in a red state, we're all Americans. We shouldn't be targeting different areas in ways that would be viewed as communicative. That's just not what we do," Murkowski told reporters on Friday outside the Capitol.

"If there is a rationale that the administration has for foreclosures or terminations of grants, you know, present it out there. But let's not paint it blue and red. Let's not further divide people politically. This is already stressful enough, and we just don't need to do that," she added.

-ABC News' Isabella Murray

ABC News' Mary Bruce asked Leavitt about Trump's online trolling with deep fake videos to threaten mass firings, despite claims from the White House that it is trying to avoid cuts.

"The president has described this as an unprecedented opportunity to lay off additional workers. He's posted a video likening it to the grim reaper. Which is it? Is this an opportunity to fire more workers or an unfortunate consequence?" Bruce asked.

Leavitt claimed that "both can be true at the same time."

"We don't like laying people off. Nobody takes joy and if you think that, that's very sad you view the White House and our staff as wanting to put people out of work. Nobody wants to do that, but sometimes in government, you have to make the tough decisions," she added.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump has not abandoned his campaign promise to mandate insurance companies to cover IVF services.

However, when asked for an update, the press secretary could not give one, even though the deadline set by an executive order to come up with a plan had passed.

"As far as IVF goes, I'll check with our policy team and get you some updates," she said before taking another question.

White House press secretary Leavitt was asked about President Donald Trump going from saying he did not know about Project 2025 during the campaign to now knowing about it and supporting it.

The press secretary did not directly answer if Project 2025 was "the blueprint for shrinking the government."

"The blueprint is what the president, and his team and his Cabinet secretaries ultimately decide. And the president trusts his Cabinet secretaries to identify where there is waste, fraud and abuse," Leavitt said.

Russ Vought, the OMB director, co-authored Project 2025.