Trump’s Shocking Move: Threatens to Permanently Fire Federal Workers Amid Government Shutdown

Washington grows tense as shutdown enters fifth day

The U.S. government shutdown has entered its fifth day, and President Donald Trump has delivered a startling announcement — if the shutdown continues, he will permanently fire thousands of federal workers.

With no progress in budget negotiations between Republicans and Democrats, Washington finds itself trapped in deep political paralysis. Democrats are demanding the renewal of health insurance subsidies for millions of families, while Trump insists on maintaining current spending levels and is using the shutdown as an opportunity to expand executive control over the federal budget.

“It’s up to them. Anybody laid off — that’s because of the Democrats,” Trump told reporters before boarding Marine One on Sunday morning.
He also texted CNN, claiming, “We are winning and cutting costs big time.”

This move is unprecedented in U.S. history — no previous president has used a government shutdown as a justification for permanent layoffs. White House officials argue that the decision would “save taxpayer money,” but Democrats call it an act of political retaliation and abuse of power.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told NBC, “We haven’t seen the full details yet, but it’s certainly a regrettable situation that the president himself does not want.”

Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, said the administration is still trying to avoid layoffs, though internal pressure is mounting.

Democratic Senator Adam Schiff warned that “millions of Americans are already facing uncertainty over rising health care costs — now adding job insecurity for federal employees would be a humanitarian disaster.”

Analysts say Trump’s decision is as much a political gamble as an economic one. It could deepen fear within the federal workforce and further polarize budget talks between Republicans and Democrats.

As of Sunday, both sides continued to trade blame publicly, with little sign of private negotiations.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, “The shutdown will continue as long as Democrats keep saying no,” while Democrats accused Trump of engaging in “political blackmail” at the expense of government workers.

With no deal in sight, Washington’s standoff has evolved from a political impasse into a national employment and economic crisis.