- Trump administration pursues mass federal layoffs—OMB chief Russell Vought predicts over 10,000 firings amid the ongoing shutdown, targeting agencies like CFPB, HHS, EPA.
- A federal judge temporarily halted the layoffs, citing human cost and potential illegality, as unions and Democrats challenge the administration in court.
In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing government shutdown, the Trump administration is aggressively pursuing mass layoffs of federal employees, with White House budget chief Russell Vought predicting the total could exceed 10,000 workers.
However, a federal judge in San Francisco has temporarily blocked these moves, citing the “human cost” and potential illegality of the firings.
This clash highlights President Trump’s broader strategy to reshape the federal workforce, using the shutdown as leverage to advance long-held goals of reducing government bureaucracy.
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The shutdown, now in its third week, has left nearly 900,000 federal workers furloughed and essential services disrupted, from national parks to airport operations.
While Republicans blame Democrats for refusing to pass a “clean” funding bill, critics argue the administration is exploiting the impasse to enact sweeping cuts without congressional oversight.
White House Ramps Up Layoff Plans
On Wednesday, Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), appeared on “The Charlie Kirk Show” podcast, where he outlined the administration’s ambitious plans.
“I think it’ll get much higher,” Vought said of the layoffs.
“I think we’ll probably end up being somewhere north of 10,000.”
This figure is more than double the 4,100 terminations the White House disclosed in court filings just last week.
Vought emphasized the shutdown as an opportunity to be “very aggressive where we can be in shuttering the bureaucracy.”
He also highlighted efforts to dismantle agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), stating, “We don’t have anyone working there except our Republican appointees and a few careers that are doing statutory responsibilities while we close down the agency.”
Vought added that while consumer protection is important, “This agency wasn’t doing it. It had the DNA of Elizabeth Warren.”
The administration has already begun notifying workers, with at least 4,100 across agencies like Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) receiving layoff notices.
Some at HHS have since been rescinded, but the push continues.
Trump issued an executive order on Wednesday directing agencies to align staffing with “Administration priorities,” noting that 300,000 federal employees have left the workforce this year—more than double the historic average—due to incentive programs encouraging departures.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the moves, calling a judge who blocked them a “far-left hack.”
Vice President JD Vance also appeared on the Kirk show, which aired from the White House the day after Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom—a move that has sparked debate given Kirk’s active role in conservative media.
This isn’t a new tactic; reports indicate the administration viewed the shutdown as a strategic tool from the start.
Vought has ties to Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for overhauling the federal government, which includes plans to reclassify civil servants for easier dismissal.
Judge Blocks Layoffs, Citing ‘Human Cost’
In a significant setback for the administration, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco issued a temporary restraining order on Wednesday afternoon, halting the layoffs.
“It’s very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programs, and it has a human cost,” Illston said during the hearing.
“It’s a human cost that cannot be tolerated.”
The ruling came in response to lawsuits from federal employee unions, who argued the firings violate civil service laws and are politically motivated, targeting programs in Democratic-leaning states or those associated with progressive policies.
Illston described the layoffs as executed “without much thought,” potentially illegal, and sided with the unions’ claims that there’s no direct legal connection between the shutdown and the terminations.
Democrats have vowed to fight back in court, with figures like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accusing the administration of weaponizing the shutdown.
“All of these crisis events stem from Republican policies that are colliding at the same time, which is why Republicans are hiding, refusing to come back to Capitol Hill,” Jeffries said in a recent statement.
The White House maintains the shutdown forces their hand, but experts note that layoffs during shutdowns are rare and typically tied to funding lapses, not ideological purges.
Broader Impacts and Public Reaction
The layoffs target agencies crafting policies on health care, education, and the environment, potentially decimating expertise in these areas.
The federal workforce is already down 200,000 since Trump retook office, and further cuts could exacerbate service delays in critical sectors like veterans’ affairs and social security.
Public reaction on social media platform X has been polarized.
Conservative users celebrated the cuts, with one post from @sxdoc noting, “President Trump has carte blanche to freeze funds or fire employees as much as he wishes. Expecting he will reduce cost of government by billions while this shutdown is in place.”
Another from @Bubblebathgirl shared, “Press Secretary Leavitt confirms thousands of federal workers will be fired now because of the Schumer Shutdown. Excellent news! Fire more!”
Democrats and union supporters pushed back fiercely.
Rep. Glenn Ivey (@RepGlennIvey) posted, “Yesterday, a federal judge blocked Trump’s mass layoffs during the shutdown, a major win for federal workers. These weren’t just ‘cuts’ — they were an attack on public servants.”
Another user, @ProjectLincoln, warned, “Trump is using his shutdown to fire even more Americans – and, insanely, cancel funding for projects in blue states.”
Polls cited in recent reports show public blame split, with about 60% attributing the shutdown to Trump and Republicans, compared to 54% blaming Democrats.
Economic costs are mounting, with estimates of $15 billion weekly in lost productivity.
Also Read: Republicans Face Growing Backlash as Voters Blame Them for Govt. Shutdown
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