President Donald Trump has set a deadline for when his administration will begin implementing cuts to federal workers and programs if the ongoing government shutdown is not resolved.
On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and most Senate Democrats rejected a continuing resolution aimed at reopening the government, extending the shutdown into another week.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said that if the shutdown continues for four to five more days, his administration could move forward with mass layoffs and reductions across multiple federal agencies.
“How many permanent jobs are you talking about eliminating?” a reporter asked Trump during an Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“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.”
The reporter also questioned Trump about any programs he wished to cut during the shutdown.
“Oh, sure. We have a lot, I’m not going to tell you, but we’ll be announcing it pretty soon. But we have a lot of things that we’re going to eliminate and permanently eliminate,” Trump said.
“You know, one of the things that we have as some advantage, you could say, but because of the shutdown, which I think they made a big mistake, we’re able to take out billions and billions of dollars of waste, fraud and abuse, and they’ve handed it, you know, to us on a silver platter,” Trump added, per the Daily Caller.
Trump told reporters that he has received calls from several Democrats seeking meetings with him, some of whom claimed to be party leaders. Trump added that he was unfamiliar with a number of the individuals who reached out.
The ongoing government shutdown has centered on a dispute over healthcare funding, with Democrats pushing for expanded Medicaid reimbursements for states that provide coverage to undocumented immigrants, as well as additional subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
Last week, Trump met with his Office of Management and Budget Director to discuss possible federal workforce reductions. Following the meeting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Daily Caller that layoffs were “imminent,” though no staff cuts have been announced to date.
“Unfortunately, because the Democrats shut down the government, the president has directed his cabinet and the Office of Management and Budget is working with agencies across the board to identify where cuts can be made and we believe that layoffs are imminent,” said the press secretary.
An op-ed published last weekend painted a bleak political outlook for Democrats heading into next year’s midterms.
The op-ed by conservative commentator and former Wall Street executive follows Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s last week to deny Republicans enough votes to keep the government open and funded at current levels.
Writing in The Hill, Peek blamed the shutdown squarely on Schumer, noting that it “highlights three weaknesses undermining the Democratic Party as we head toward next year’s midterm elections.”
For one, she notes, Democratic Party leadership continues to face pressure from its progressive wing, which has gained significant influence over the party’s agenda. Schumer is reportedly wary of a potential primary challenge from New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a dynamic that observers say may be shaping some of his recent political decisions.
“Second, President Trump has pushed Democrats to burrow into their far-left rabbit holes by occupying the all-powerful center,” Peek added. “Third, Democrats are pushing endlessly to spend more money; voters think that’s a mistake.”
Schumer is facing renewed pressure from within his party following backlash over his decision earlier this year to work with Republicans to avert a government shutdown. The move angered many Democrats, who accused him of conceding too much in negotiations, she noted.
