Trump launches mass federal layoffs, intensifying shutdown battle
President Donald Trump stated he was fulfilling threats to terminate thousands of federal employees during a government shutdown that has now reached its 10th day, as his administration implemented job reductions across various departments, including Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Treasury, and Commerce. “It’ll be a lot, and we’ll announce the numbers over the next couple of days, but it’ll be a lot of people,” Trump told reporters. According to newly filed court documents, the administration plans to cut at least 4,100 workers from the government during the shutdown. Trump stated that numerous employees impacted were involved in programs that were “Democrat-oriented” or were “people that the Democrats wanted,” without offering further specifics. The firings represent the first significant removal of federal employees amid a funding lapse in contemporary history, surpassing the furloughs that have defined previous temporary shutdowns. The government stated in the filing that further cuts are being considered. The action intensifies the ongoing multi-week confrontation with Democrats regarding federal funding and health-care subsidies. Labour unions representing hundreds of thousands of federal workers requested a judge on Friday to promptly stop the mass firings. An emergency request has been filed with a federal judge in San Francisco, aiming to prevent the Office of Management and Budget from directing officials to execute the firings and to stop agencies from sending out reduction-in-force notices prior to the judge’s hearing scheduled for next week.
The judge refrained from making an immediate ruling but did advance the hearing by one day to October 15. On Friday, White House Budget Director Russell Vought made the announcement regarding the cuts through a brief social media post. Representatives from HHS, DHS, the Department of Education, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have verified that employees at these agencies are included in the group impacted by the layoffs. A US official confirmed that Commerce Department workers were also terminated. According to sources, the administration intends to terminate approximately 1,300 employees at the Internal Revenue Service, which operates under the Treasury Department, as reported on Friday. According to sources, all staffers in Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund were laid off. The Environmental Protection Agency has informed around 20 to 30 employees that they could potentially face cuts in the future, although a definitive decision has yet to be reached, as stated in the filing. Senate Majority Leader John Thune aimed to attribute the layoffs to the Democrats. “To their credit, the White House has now for 10 days laid off doing anything in hopes that enough Senate Democrats would come to their senses and do the right thing and fund the government,” Thune said Friday before the layoffs were announced. In the days leading up to the announcement, certain congressional Republicans advised the White House to delay, arguing that it undermines their narrative that Republicans are the ones advocating for federal workers.
Susan Collins of Maine, emerged as the first Republican to openly challenge Vought’s actions while continuing to attribute the responsibility for the shutdown to Democrats. “Arbitrary layoffs result in a lack of sufficient personnel needed to conduct the mission of the agency and to deliver essential programs, and cause harm to families in Maine and throughout our country,” Collins said in a statement. Democrats contend that allocating funds for layoffs during a shutdown is unlawful. Chuck Schumer aimed to portray the firings as an attack on US workers that creates “deliberate chaos.” Schumer stated that “Let’s be blunt: nobody’s forcing Trump and Vought to do this. They don’t have to do it; they want to.” During this shutdown, over two-thirds of civilian federal employees have continued their duties, either as essential workers or in positions that are funded for the long term, while the remainder have been sent home. The overwhelming number of federal employees are not receiving their salaries. The recent action echoes Elon Musk’s initiatives via the Department of Government Efficiency earlier this year aimed at reducing the federal workforce. The chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. significantly reduced the federal workforce by implementing voluntary resignations, retirements, and the targeted dismissal of probationary employees. Approximately 150,000 of the voluntary departures became effective with the commencement of the new fiscal year on October 1; however, additional staffing reductions have been delayed due to ongoing court challenges.
Friday’s job eliminations represent the latest strategy by Trump to intensify the impact of the shutdown on Democratic constituencies, while categorizing his own priorities as essential services. Hours into the shutdown earlier this month, the Trump administration paused $18 billion in infrastructure spending in New York City, $2 billion for Chicago transit, and $8 billion for green energy projects in 16 states — all of which voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election. The White House has acknowledged that the DOGE job cuts pose political risks. Trump has reflected on Musk’s initiatives, suggesting they lacked political appeal, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick remarked that DOGE’s approach to reducing federal spending was “backward,” prioritizing mass layoffs instead of seeking efficiencies. The strategy allows Trump to adopt a strong stance appealing to his MAGA supporters. He has frequently criticized the federal workforce, labeling it as filled with bureaucrats whom he claims are against his agenda. However, it also reduces the opportunity for Republicans to attribute the most lasting effects of a shutdown to Democrats. On Capitol Hill, bipartisan discussions have progressed intermittently, with a few Democrats breaking party ranks to endorse short-term spending measures. However, party leaders continue to be split on the issue of linking an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies to the reopening of the government. Democrats cautioned that Vought’s actions will complicate efforts to reach an agreement to end the shutdown, as they further undermine trust. Restoring the cuts and layoffs will emerge as Democratic priorities in any negotiations aimed at halting the shutdown.
