Russell Vought, the head of the Office of Management and Budget, reportedly told House Republicans on Wednesday that the Trump administration would begin firing federal workers in “one to two” days.
Less than a day into the government shutdown, Vought signaled that the administration was keeping its promise to use this time to get rid of more federal employees – a continuation of their goal to slash the federal workforce that began earlier this year.
In a call with House Republicans, Vought said those firings could begin starting Thursday or Friday, multiple sources told NBC News, Punchbowl, Politico, and more.
Vought, an architect of Project 2025, did not specify where the firings would begin, such as a specific department or specific type of employee. Earlier this year, probationary employees, or those who are newly in their position, were among the first to be fired.
Last week, OMB sent a memo to agencies asking them to prepare plans for a reduction in force if the government were to shut down, specifically considering axing employees working in programs that lose funding during a shutdown or those not consistent with Trump’s agenda.
Historically, during shutdowns, nonessential federal employees will be furloughed – or asked to stop working without pay until the government returns.
But the Trump administration’s move to fully lay off those employees during a shutdown is a significantly more aggressive move.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters Wednesday that the administration would “have to lay some people off” as the shutdown continues – though there is no rule that suggests the administration must do this.
“We don’t necessarily want to do it,” Vance told reporters. “But we’re going to do what we have to keep the American people’s essential services continuing to run.”
During a shutdown, essential services such as the postal service, Social Security payments, Medicaid, Medicare, national security, and domestic safety all remain functioning. However, some employees, such as those working in air traffic control, do not get paid for the time the government is shut down. They’re paid back when the government reopens.
It is just one of the multiple strategies the administration is using to pressure Democrats into voting for the Republicans’ temporary funding bill, called a continuing resolution, that would fund the government as is until November.
The administration has manipulated resources at its disposal to blame Democrats for the shutdown, including changing government website banners to explicitly point fingers at the liberal party, having agencies send emails to federal employees blaming Democrats, and using prominent voices to go on talk shows to repeat those points.
Vought said the administration would remove $8 billion in clean energy funding to 16 states that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and $18 billion for New York City’s infrastructure projects.
Democratic leaders in Congress have brushed off those threats, pointing out that the administration has been doing similar things since Trump took office.
“These are all things that the Trump administration has been doing since January 20th,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters.
