Trump Eyes ‘Democrat Agencies’ as Shutdown Deepens — Are Mass Federal Layoffs on the Cards?
By Rounak Bagchi
Copyright timesnownews
President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will meet with his budget chief to determine which federal agencies he can target for cuts, describing the ongoing government shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to advance his agenda and dismantle parts of the federal bureaucracy. In a social media post on Thursday, Trump said he would discuss with Russell T Vought, the White House budget director, “whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent”. He did not specify whether he was considering reducing spending, laying off federal workers, or both — measures he has threatened since federal funding lapsed. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later told reporters that the administration was preparing for possible mass layoffs. “It’s likely the government could shed workers by the thousands if the shutdown continues,” she said, adding that the President would finalise details of the plan later in the day. The remarks highlight the administration’s apparent intent to use the shutdown, which began at midnight on Wednesday, to further its long-standing goal of shrinking the federal government. Rather than seeking to end the standoff, Trump has focused on using it to pursue what he calls a reconfiguration of Washington — while putting pressure on his political rivals. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable for the President to use all the levers,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC, though he declined to offer details about potential layoffs or cuts. He acknowledged that a prolonged shutdown could hurt the US economy. On the first day of the closure, the administration halted about $26 billion in previously approved infrastructure and green energy funding, much of it earmarked for Democratic-led states. New York, home to Representative Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leaders in Congress, were among those singled out. Vought also told Republican lawmakers on Wednesday that mass layoffs of federal employees were imminent, focusing on positions that “do not comport with the President’s political agenda.” Many federal workers are already furloughed or working without pay, and unions have filed lawsuits seeking to block potential dismissals. Also Read: What Does Government Shutdown Mean And How Much It Costs the US? The push marks an escalation of Trump’s cost-cutting campaign, led through the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, aka, DOGE. Over the past eight months, the administration has dismissed civil servants, closed agencies and cancelled billions in spending. By December, the federal workforce is expected to be 300,000 smaller than at the start of the year. Trump and Vought have also proposed a 2026 budget that would cut $163 billion in spending, targeting climate, education, health and housing programmes, including those that assist low-income Americans. In his post, Trump referenced Vought’s earlier work on Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint calling for a sweeping overhaul of the federal government and “aggressive use of the vast powers of the executive branch.” However, Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that the administration was not politicising the shutdown. “We’re not targeting federal agencies based on politics,” Vance said, claiming instead that layoffs would help preserve “essential services”. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.