Story highlights Mulvaney defended the Trump administration's first full budget blueprint in blunt terms on Thursday

"Let me see if I can make news: Republicans care about poor people," he said in an interview

Washington (CNN) Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney offered a blunt defense of the Trump administration's budget proposal on Thursday.

"They told me that I should try to make news this morning, so let me see if I can make news: Republicans care about poor people," the budget chief said on "Fox & Friends."

Mulvaney was responding to the deluge of criticism that followed the rollout of President Donald Trump's first full budget proposal earlier this week, even though it faces certain changes in Congress.

Democrats quickly criticized the proposed deep cuts, highlighting funding reductions for safety net programs , and even Republicans expressed hesitation . Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, called the budget "dead on arrival," and Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Kentucky, predicted that foreign aid cuts in the budget "will not stand" and called other cuts "draconian, careless and counterproductive."

The budget director pushed back on the criticism on Thursday.

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