Trump piles pain on Democrats | The Express Tribune
Key Takeaways
- Donald Trump confirmed plans to proceed with mass layoffs of federal workers to pressure Democrats during the government shutdown.
- The budget chief, Russell Vought, suggested many of the targeted cuts could be permanent, with thousands of firings potentially imminent.
- Trump views the job cuts as an irreversible tactic to increase political pain on the opposing party.
- Democratic leaders, including Schumer and Jeffries, dismissed the layoff threats as mere intimidation tactics.
- The government shutdown is ongoing, affecting 750,000 employees, with legislative action stalled until at least Friday.
Donald Trump intensified pressure on Democrats regarding the ongoing government shutdown by announcing plans for mass layoffs of federal workers, threatening irreversible cuts to agencies he deemed politically motivated. The shutdown, entering its second day, already furloughed 750,000 employees, and budget chief Russell Vought indicated many layoffs could be permanent. Trump explicitly stated these cutbacks are intended to inflict pain on Democrats to force their cooperation. Senate Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries condemned the threat as intimidation, asserting such mass firings would not withstand legal challenges. While the Senate paused for Yom Kippur, further votes are expected, but with Democrats likely blocking the Republican funding resolution, the standoff appears set to continue into the next week, despite House Speaker Mike Johnson urging Senate leaders to work through the weekend.
