WASHINGTON: In a dramatic escalation of the current government funding standoff, President Donald Trump is reportedly leveraging the ongoing shutdown to initiate widespread federal staff cuts and target programs associated with his political adversaries. The move signals a shift from temporary furloughs toward more permanent workforce reductions — a controversial strategy that critics say weaponizes federal employment.
A senior administration meeting with Budget Director Russell Vought was held Thursday, during which the president announced that he and Vought would decide which programs, particularly those “supported by Democrats,” would face budget slashes. This agenda is part of Trump’s broader push to reduce federal spending and reshape the bureaucracy along ideological lines.
The backdrop to this push is the shutdown itself, triggered by Congress’s failure to pass appropriations legislation. As agencies halted operations and thousands of federal employees faced unpaid suspensions, the White House appeared to use the impasse as an opening to enact structural changes.
Documents and internal memos indicate that preparations are underway for what are known as “reductions in force” (RIFs) — formal notices signaling permanent layoffs in programs losing funding. In practice, this could transform how the government responds in a shutdown: removing standard protections and potentially letting agencies dismiss staff even during funding gaps.
However, the plan has drawn heavy criticism and legal scrutiny. Senior administration officials have privately cautioned against proceeding with layoffs during a lapse in funding, warning that such actions might violate key statutes governing federal spending. Labor unions have already filed lawsuits challenging the legality of issuing RIFs under shutdown conditions, arguing that the strategy disregards worker rights and congressional authority.
The timing and targets of proposed cuts have raised further alarm. The administration has already frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for transit and climate initiatives in Democratic‑led states, moves critics say amount to political retribution. Combined with the proposed layoffs, these actions suggest a deliberate effort to inflict economic pain on regions that oppose the White House.
Democratic leaders have denounced the approach as an abuse of power. They have termed the strategy “intimidation” aimed at punishing workers and communities for their political leanings. Meanwhile, Trump and his allies argue the shutdown and accompanying cuts are opportunities for long-overdue reform of what they describe as bloated, politicized agencies.
As the impasse drags on, the consequences are mounting. The Congressional Budget Office warns that hundreds of thousands of federal workers could be furloughed, pushing unpaid salaries and personal hardship into the spotlight. Yet for Republicans emboldened by control of the White House, the stakes are framed in broader terms: a test of who wields ultimate authority in shaping and staffing the federal government.
