The White House confirmed Friday that it has begun laying off thousands of federal workers, marking one of the boldest cost-cutting moves in modern history. The layoffs come as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to downsize government waste amid the ongoing Democrat-driven shutdown that has paralyzed Washington for weeks.
“The RIFs have begun,” Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought announced on X, using the acronym for Reductions in Force.
According to an OMB spokesperson, the layoffs are “substantial” and part of a broader restructuring effort long promised by President Trump. While the White House did not reveal the total number of employees impacted, multiple agencies — including Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services (HHS) — are already confirming cuts.
Trump: “Democrats Started This – and They’ll Feel It”
Speaking to reporters Friday evening, President Trump didn’t mince words about who he believes is responsible for the cuts.
“It’ll be a lot — and it’ll be Democrat-oriented, because we figure, you know, they started this thing,” Trump said.
The President emphasized that the layoffs are not random but strategic reductions of non-essential positions, many of which are tied to failed Democrat policies and bloated programs left over from the Obama-Biden years.
At HHS, officials said affected workers had been “designated non-essential” and that the agency was closing wasteful and duplicative divisions that conflicted with the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.
“This is about accountability,” one senior Trump official said. “Taxpayers should not be forced to fund bureaucracy that exists only to feed itself.”
Unions and Democrats Furious Over Trump’s Move
Predictably, Democrats and government unions erupted with outrage. The AFL-CIO vowed to take the administration to court, posting on X, “America’s unions will see you in court.”
Left-wing lawmakers accused Trump of using federal employees as leverage. But Trump hit back, saying Democrats are the ones holding paychecks hostage by refusing to pass a clean government funding bill.
“We’re not going to fund Democrat wish lists and open-border programs while they hold the government hostage,” Trump declared.
Democrats have been demanding an extension of ObamaCare subsidies and expanded benefits for illegal immigrants, both of which the President has refused to negotiate until the government is reopened.
Republicans Stand Firm Behind Trump
Republican leaders in Congress are standing squarely behind the President. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said the White House had shown “remarkable restraint” before finally acting.
“For 10 days they held off, hoping Democrats would come to their senses,” Thune said. “But now that people are missing paychecks, this gets real. This is what happens when Democrats play politics with the American people.”
Thune praised Trump’s resolve to restructure bloated agencies and protect taxpayer dollars instead of caving to far-left demands.
A Step Toward Draining the Swamp
This is not the first time President Trump has moved to clean up Washington’s bureaucracy. Earlier this year, the Department of Government Efficiency, created in collaboration with Elon Musk, initiated a massive audit of federal departments to cut redundant positions and outdated programs.
That initiative saved billions of dollars — and Friday’s announcement signals Phase Two of the administration’s broader effort to make government leaner, faster, and more accountable.
“If this keeps going on, it will be substantial,” Trump said earlier in the week. “And a lot of those jobs will never come back.”
Conservatives see this as a historic victory for fiscal responsibility and government reform, while Democrats call it “cruel.” But for millions of taxpayers and retirees worried about runaway spending, inflation, and debt, Trump’s decision may be exactly the tough action America needs.