White House Confirms ‘Substantial’ Layoffs as Government Shutdown Deepens

The White House on Friday confirmed that it has begun implementing large-scale layoffs of federal workers, marking a major escalation in the ongoing government shutdown that has paralyzed key public services for nearly three weeks.

President Donald Trump’s administration said the move was part of efforts to ramp up pressure on opposition Democrats to reach a resolution, as negotiations over the shutdown continue to stall.

Russ Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), announced on social media that the government had started executing plans to dismiss portions of the roughly 750,000 federal employees who had been placed on unpaid leave since the shutdown began.

In a statement to AFP, the OMB confirmed that the layoffs would be “substantial,” though it did not provide specific numbers or indicate which agencies would be most affected.

The shutdown, one of the most disruptive in recent U.S. history, has already caused widespread delays in federal services, from passport processing and environmental inspections to food safety monitoring.

President Trump, in recent remarks, underscored his belief that the staff cutbacks could increase pressure on Democrats to compromise, referring to some federal institutions as “Democrat Agencies” and a “political scam.”

“We’re looking closely at which agencies are the biggest drain and serve no real purpose,” Trump said earlier in the week. “The American people deserve a government that works for them, not one bloated by politics.”

Democratic leaders have condemned the move, describing it as “reckless” and “politically motivated.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the layoffs represent “a deliberate attempt to weaponize the livelihoods of public servants to score partisan points.”

As the standoff drags into its third week, there is growing concern about the long-term economic and social impact of the shutdown.

Economists warn that continued disruption could erode consumer confidence, delay major infrastructure projects, and further strain an already volatile job market.

Despite mounting pressure from both sides, there is still no clear path toward ending the impasse, leaving hundreds of thousands of workers in limbo and millions of Americans feeling the effects of a government grinding to a halt.