President Donald Trump appears to be preparing to follow through on his threat to cut staff and federal agencies in the event of a government shutdown.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, during an appearance on Fox News, discussed the president’s Wednesday meeting with Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). She noted that “we have zero dollars coming into the federal government right now because the Democrats shut it down.”
Leavitt continued, “so what Russ Vought is working diligently on is examining how we can fix this mess to ensure that critical funding continues, that we can get people paid.”
“But the Democrats are making that very difficult. And that’s why the president put out a statement this morning saying that we’re going to start looking across the board at layoffs and at agencies that we feel do not best serve the American taxpayer that may need to be halted or permanently cut,” she added.
The press secretary furrther explained that Democrats “put the White House and the president in this position, and if they don’t want further harm on their constituents back home, then they need to reopen the government.”
🚨 BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt just CONFIRMED that OMB Director Russ Vought is being unleashed on federal agencies "that may need to be halted - or PERMANENTLY cut."
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 2, 2025
"It's VERY REAL! If they don't want further harm on their constituents, OPEN THE GOVERNMENT."
Yikes. Democrats… pic.twitter.com/ucPnivGIEM
President Trump on Wednesday announced he was meeting with Vought to determine which federal agenices should be targeted for cuts and possible elimination amid the Schumer Shutdown. “I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Last week, the Trump administration threatened mass firings of federal workers if Congress did not avoid the shutdown. The OMB issued a memo instructing federal agencies to prepare for furloughs and “Reduction in Force” (RIF) notices, targeting employees whose work is out of step with Trump’s priorities.
Meanwhile, Democratic leaders are facing heat for refusing to budge on their demands, which include expansions of the Affordable Care Act and restoring funding for Medicaid. Senate Demcorats voted to block a stopgap measure on Wednesday that would have temporarily reopened the government until November 21.
Democrats are in a precarious position with this shutdown. Trump is threatening Democrats’ most cherished institution: The federal government. By preparing more mass firings and possible shutdowns of federal agencies, Trump is essentially forcing them to choose between grandstanding and possibly shrinking the federal government. The question is: Which road will Democrats take?