Trump threatens ‘substantial’ firings if shutdown continues: ‘Jobs will never come back’
President Trump on Tuesday vowed to cut billions in federal programs and fire a ‘substantial’ number of workers if the government shutdown continues.
Speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office, the president said his administration is identifying jobs to eliminate in the federal workforce, and an announcement could come in “four or five days.”
“It’ll be substantial, and a lot of those jobs will never come back,” Mr. Trump said. “You can have a lot closer to a balanced budget, actually.”
The president also said his administration is prepared to cut “billions and billions of dollars” in federal programs, adding that Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought is already looking at ways to slash the budget.
“Because of the shutdown … we’re able to take out billions and billions of dollars of waste, fraud and abuse,” Mr. Trump said, adding that the Democrats handed him the opportunity to cut “on a silver platter.”
“Russell Vought is a serious person, very serious person, and he’s sitting there and he’s getting ready to cut things,” Mr. Trump continued.
The president’s remarks come as the shutdown stretched into a seventh day. Late Monday, the GOP-controlled Senate for the fifth time remained deadlocked on measures to fund federal agencies.
Since the shutdown began last week, the Trump administration has cut some federal funds set to reach Democratic-led cities and states and teased mass firings, though no layoffs had occurred as of Tuesday afternoon.
During previous shutdowns, the government didn’t fire any workers, though hundreds of thousands were furloughed.
Mr. Trump told reporters over the weekend that layoffs were taking place “right now,” but White House press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the president was referring to the furloughed workers.
She did note that workers will have to be laid off if the shutdown continues.
Labor unions representing federal workers have already filed lawsuits to prevent layoffs, arguing that firings would violate federal law.
