WASHINGTON — As the federal government shutdown stretches into its eighth day, White House budget director Russ Vought has confirmed the start of “substantial” layoffs across key agencies, a move that’s ignited bipartisan fury and deepened rifts within the Republican Party.
The reductions in force (RIFs), affecting thousands of essential workers from the EPA to HHS, mark an escalation beyond typical temporary furloughs, with Democrats decrying it as “reckless chaos” and even some GOP leaders like Sen. Susan Collins pushing back against the pain inflicted on American families.
Vought, a key architect of Project 2025’s blueprint for slashing the federal bureaucracy, broke the news on X Thursday morning: “The RIFs have begun.”
An OMB spokesperson doubled down to NBC News, stating the layoffs “have begun and will be substantial.”
The firings target non-essential personnel in agencies like Interior, Homeland Security, Treasury, Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency—hits that could sideline up to 10,000 workers permanently if the impasse drags on.
Unlike standard shutdown furloughs, where back pay is guaranteed upon resolution, these RIFs could mean job losses without recourse, leaving families in limbo amid holiday season uncertainties.
The shutdown, triggered October 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding bill, pits Republicans’ demands for $175 billion in non-defense cuts against Democrats’ push for healthcare subsidies and border aid.
Trump has seized the moment as a “unprecedented opportunity” to “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” huddling with Vought to eye “Democrat Agencies” for permanent elimination.
But the strategy is backfiring, with polls showing Trump’s approval dipping to 41% as voters blame him for the chaos.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, didn’t mince words in a blistering statement, stating, “Once again, when President Trump and his self-described ‘grim reaper’ decide to ignore the pleas of congressional Republicans and conduct more mass firings, they are choosing to inflict more pain on the American people.
No one is making Trump and Vought hurt American workers—they just want to.” She added: “A shutdown does not give Trump or Vought new, special powers to cause more chaos or permanently weaken more basic services for the American people, and the simple fact is this administration has been recklessly firing—and rehiring—essential workers all year. This is nothing new, and no one should be intimidated by these crooks.”
Even Republicans are balking. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chair of the Appropriations Committee, has been vocal: “I’ve made very clear that I do not believe there should be firings of furloughed workers.”
Her stance highlights growing GOP unease, with moderate voices like hers warning the tactic could alienate swing voters ahead of midterms.
A Pattern of Purges: From FBI to Pentagon, Trump’s ‘Deep State’ War Hits Home
Vought’s layoffs aren’t isolated—they’re the latest salvo in Trump’s crusade against what he calls the “radical left” bureaucracy.
Earlier this week, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the firing of multiple employees tied to the “Arctic Frost” surveillance scandal, where Biden-era agents monitored Republican senators’ communications around January 6, 2021.
Patel posted on X: “They tracked the communications of GOP Senators. They weaponized law enforcement against the American people. That era is over. We fired those who acted unethically, dismantled the corrupt CR-15 squad, and launched an investigation. Transparency and accountability aren’t slogans, they’re promises kept.”
The probe, now nearing 300 cases, has drawn praise from Senate Majority Leader John Thune but criticism from Democrats as a “witch hunt.”
Over at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has launched nearly 300 investigations into DoD staff for social media posts mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination, resulting in reprimands, suspensions, and firings.
A Washington Post review found 128 service members and 158 civilians probed, with two civilians outright dismissed.
Hegseth, in a September 30 address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, railed against “fat troops” and “fat generals,” calling it “completely unacceptable.” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the moves, stating, “We will not tolerate military or civilian personnel who celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American.”
Critics, including former officials, warn it’s subordinating the military to politics.
The Commerce Department isn’t spared. Secretary Howard Lutnick’s office confirmed last Friday the termination of 15 staffers linked to “inappropriate” social media activity during the shutdown, per an internal memo leaked to Axios.
Lutnick, in a Fox Business interview, tied it to broader reforms, stating, “We’re cleaning house to ensure loyalty to the American worker.”
Shutdown’s Human Toll: Furloughs, Food Insecurity, and Fractured Families
Beyond the headlines, the shutdown’s bite is quite personal. Up to 800,000 federal workers are furloughed without pay, with essential staff like air traffic controllers working unpaid.
The USDA’s WIC program for low-income moms and kids teeters on the brink, with funding lapsing October 31—potentially denying nutrition to 6.5 million participants.
A Politico report detailed families skipping meals, with one D.C. employee saying, “We’re rationing groceries like it’s 2008 all over again.”
Gallup’s latest poll, released October 4, shows agency approval in freefall: The IRS at 22%, FBI at 28%, and EPA at 29%—historic lows under Trump.
“These numbers reflect a profound distrust,” said Gallup’s Megan Brennan. A Pew survey from late September found 59% view the government as “too careless” in cuts, with 55% disapproving of Trump’s handling.
Reuters/Ipsos pegged Trump’s approval at 41% on September 23, with 54% saying the economy feels off-track. Quinnipiac’s October 2 poll showed the IRS at 19% among non-Republicans, while Silver Bulletin tracks his rating steady at 40% but agency trust lagging.
GOP Infighting: Greene, Cruz, and Midterm Jitters
Republicans are fracturing. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene blasted leadership on X for ignoring Obamacare subsidy expirations, posting: “Not a single Republican in leadership talked to us about this or has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING!!!”
She urged the “nuclear option” to override filibusters, spelling “wield” as “weld” in frustration.
Sen. Ted Cruz called the layoffs “fantastic” on Fox Business, predicting Democrat “screaming” at pink slips for EPA and IRS staff.
House Speaker Mike Johnson admitted the pain, stating, “The White House… take no pleasure in this,” but defended it as “results of an election.”
With midterms looming, moderates like Collins warn of voter backlash, while Trump’s Truth Social rants about “Democrat Agencies” as “political SCAMs” haven’t helped.
Economists project a prolonged shutdown could shave 0.5% off GDP, per the Congressional Budget Office.
As furloughs mount and services falter, Vought’s RIFs—meant to “clean house”—risk alienating the base they aim to empower. For federal families, it’s not abstract; it’s skipped paychecks and holiday dread.
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