The White House has begun mass layoffs amid an ongoing tussle between Republicans and Democrats over the federal budget and spending, officials said.
On Friday, the White House announced the process of laying off federal workers due to overstretching the country’s financial resources, prompting Democrats to push for an end to the government shutdown that has been in effect since October 1.
Trump administration budget chief Russ Vought confirmed that the process has already started, adding that there would be substantial layoffs in the media industry.
“RIFs have begun,” Vought wrote on X, referring to reduction-in-force plans aimed at reducing the size of the federal government.
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The budget office stated in court filings that “they were planning to dismiss more than 4,000 employees”; however, it noted that the funding situation was fluid and constantly evolving.
According to sources, around 750,000 employees are expected to be placed on enforced leave.
Trump also said that he met with Vought to decide which agencies “he recommends to be cut” and whether those cuts would be permanent or temporary.
Meanwhile, the proposed move has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who have warned that mass layoffs would be illegal.
When Trump took office in January, the department had approximately 4,100 employees. It has been among the worst affected by the president’s layoff policies, with staffing nearly halved to 2,500 at the start of the shutdown.
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