Dems Panic As Trump Gears Up For Mass Federal Firings During Shutdown

A growing number of Democrats are sounding the alarm about possible mass firings of federal employees after Senate Democrats blocked a House-passed continuing resolution that would have kept the government funded.

On Wednesday, several House Democrats held a press conference to blast President Donald J. Trump, who earlier in the week made clear that a government shutdown provides the opportunity to finally shrink the bloated federal workforce.

“It is deeply offensive that the president is threatening to fire federal workers if we can’t reach an agreement without offering any meaningful solutions here,” Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.) complained.

“The president continues to threaten those workers, but please know if you’re a civil servant in the state of Maryland, know that we have your back as a team,” she added.

Trump has framed the standoff as the “Schumer Shutdown”, pointing the finger at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for torpedoing the House GOP’s clean resolution. The President warned that Democrats’ obstruction could lead to “irreversible” program cuts and deep layoffs within federal agencies — reductions long resisted by the left.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Wednesday that the administration is preparing for layoffs, not just temporary furloughs.

At the same time, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) froze roughly $18 billion in federal funding for projects in New York, including the Hudson Tunnel and New York City’s subway system — high-priority initiatives for Schumer and Jeffries.

President Trump praised OMB Director Russ Vought for the aggressive moves, calling them part of his broader fiscal reform strategy.

“He can trim the budget to a level that you couldn’t do any other way,” Trump said of Vought earlier this week. “So they’re taking a risk by having a shutdown.”

The OMB chief told House Republicans in a private conference call that layoffs could begin within days, a plan building on the Department of Government Efficiency initiative launched earlier this year under Elon Musk that has already delivered sweeping cuts to the federal bureaucracy.

Thursday marked the second day of the shutdown. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that up to 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed on any given day, resulting in about $400 million in lost wages daily, according to ABC7.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) acknowledged the shutdown’s growing impact but placed responsibility squarely on Democrats.

“The longer this goes on, the more pain will be inflicted,” Johnson said. “Because it is inevitable when the government shuts down.”

Meanwhile, Democrats continue to dig in on their demands for more healthcare spending — specifically an extension of Obamacare subsidies and expanded Medicaid funding, including coverage for over one million illegal aliens, according to CBO estimates. Republicans argue that such demands are a political stunt, noting the subsidies don’t expire until the end of the year.

With Congress out of session for a Jewish holy day, there are no immediate negotiations scheduled. The Senate will return Friday, while the House is not expected back until next week — leaving federal workers and taxpayers alike in limbo.