(Photo Chip Somodevilla)
Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced Friday that the administration has begun mass layoffs as the government shutdown continues another day.
Vought issued a memo ahead of the government shutdown to federal agencies on Sept. 24 telling them to prepare for large-scale layoffs and cuts to program via Reduction-in-Force (RIF) measures. Vought posted Friday on X that the layoffs had started.
“The RIFs have begun,” Vought wrote.
The government officially shut down on Oct. 1 after Senate Democrats voted against a clean continuing resolution and demanded increased funding for Medicaid, including Affordable Care Act subsidies and reimbursements on for spending from states on illegal immigrants.
After the shutdown, Trump and Vought met last week to discuss which federal agencies could be downsized. The day the shutdown began, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Caller that layoffs were “imminent.” She later estimated that thousands would be let go.
🚨 Karoline Leavitt sounds the alarm on “imminent” federal layoffs, WATCH:@reaganreese_ pic.twitter.com/lRKPyukQiV
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 1, 2025
On Tuesday, Trump said he would have a clearer idea of how many jobs would be cut in four or five days if the shutdown dragged on. The president also told reporters on Tuesday that he had identified programs he wanted to eliminate as punishment for the shutdown.
“How many permanent jobs are you talking about eliminating?” a reporter asked Trump.
“I’ll be able to tell you that in four or five days. If this keeps going on, it’ll be substantial, and a lot of those jobs will never come back,” Trump responded. “You’re going to have a lot closer to a balanced budget.”
