As the US government shutdown enters its second day, President Donald Trump doubled down on his threat to deliver 'irreversible' pain to Democrats by laying off thousands of federal workers.
With 750,000 employees already furloughed without pay across a wide range of agencies, Trump turned to budget chief Russell Vought to identify which 'Democrat agencies' should face cuts—temporary or permanent. On his Truth Social post, the president dismissed many agencies as 'a political SCAM,' vowing to make any cuts stick.
Vought signaled to House Republicans that permanent layoffs could roll out in the next 48 hours, echoing Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt's claim that mass firings were 'imminent' and 'likely going to number in the thousands.'
Trump argues draconian cuts will raise the pressure on Democrats, saying: 'we can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them.'
On the other side, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have called Trump's layoff threats empty intimidation, warning any mass firings wouldn't hold up in court. Jeffries accused Republicans of shutting down the government because, in his words, 'they don't want to provide health care to working-class Americans.'
Even as holiday recess keeps many House Republicans away from Washington, Jeffries said Democrats remain ready 'to sit down with anyone, any time, any place'—including the president and Vice President JD Vance—to 'find a path forward' and reopen the government.
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Trump plays hardball with Dems as public blames both over shutdown
cgtn.com
