Trump blames Democrats for the government closure triggering layoffs

President Donald Trump Sunday, placed the blame on the Democrats for the closure of the government, which should trigger dismissals of sweeping through the federal workforce.

Trump told journalists before boarding the navy One that imminent layoffs were “their own”, referring to the Democrats who voted against a bill to finance the government and avoid closure.

The federal government closed at 12:01 p.m. on Wednesday, forcing agencies to send workers at home in roles not considered essential.

Shutdown explained: who works, who does not do and how much it costs

The American Capitol in Washington, DC, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Eric Lee / Bloomberg / Getty Images)

These contents are temporary; Once the congress results in the deadlock, employees generally return to work and receive a salary. As a result, previous government closings were more political theater than economic shock, markets and jobs bounced quickly.

This time, however, the Trump administration warned that some workers on leave may not return, transforming a routine disturbance in a potential blow for an already fragile labor market.

The closure fight throws a shadow on jobs while Trump is preparing for the greatest federal resignation in American history

Washington, DC, which houses a large part of federal employees, was particularly affected after the Elon Musk Government Department of Effectiveness (DOGE) Board Advisory Board Pressing the layoffs earlier this year.

On Tuesday, when they were asked how many federal workers could be dismissed, Trump told journalists in the White House: “We can do a lot,” saying that the Democrats had made little progress to end the deadlock.

President Donald Trump speaks to media members on the southern lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. (Francis Chung / Politico / Bloomberg / Getty Images)

At the same time, the administration is preparing to supervise which could become the greatest mass resignation in the history of the United States, with more than 100,000 federal employees who should leave under deferred resignation program.

Click here to obtain the Fox News app

The director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, declared on Sunday on the “state of the Union” of CNN that the layoffs will begin “if the president decides that the negotiations are not absolutely nowhere”.

He said he hoped “we can bring the Democrats to see that it is just the common sense to avoid layoffs like that.”

If the Democrats are “reasonable once back in town on Monday,” added Hassett, then Trump will not see “no reason for these layoffs”.