WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the federal government shutdown saga continues, the President Donald Trump is seizing the shutdown as an opportunity to slash the federal workforce. Trump shared on social media he and his budget director will decide which so-called “democratic agencies” to cut during the shutdown. The president is looking to use the shutdown to make swift changes to the federal government’s bureaucracy.
“It’s likely going to be in the thousands,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “That’s something that the Office of Management and Budget and the entire team at the White House here again is unfortunately having to work on today.”
In a social media post, Trump said he is meeting with Russell Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, “to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut”. He adds that the “Radical Left Democrats” gave him this “unprecedented opportunity”.
It’s unclear which agencies he is referring to and what or who is on the chopping block.
The President’s comments came a day after Vice President JD Vance said the President was open to negotiating across the aisle and was not targeting federal agencies based on politics.
“We are going to have to lay some people off if the shutdown continues,” said Vance on Wednesday. “We don’t like that. We don’t necessarily want to do it, but we’re going to do what we have to, to keep the American people’s essential services continuing to run.”
The administration also announced they are pausing billions in approved funds for projects in states with democratic governors and senators. Some said this is part of the President’s plans to maximize the pressure and discomfort of a shutdown. As of now, hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed due to the shutdown.
