(NewsNation) — The Trump administration is reportedly ironing out the details of expected mass layoffs, which could come as soon as tomorrow and kick off a round of federal downsizing.
Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and his department are organizing the government’s plans.
Vought and President Donald Trump have gone on the record that upcoming layoffs and furloughs could be permanent — and part of a larger administrative plan.
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Calling the shutdown an “unprecedented opportunity” from “the Radical Left Democrats” in a social media post, Trump has doubled down on his DOGE-era goal of slashing the federal workforce.
If Trump were to sign off on Vought’s plan Friday, the layoffs could begin immediately, putting federal workers’ paychecks, benefits and critical public services on the line.
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In the past, federal workers have been furloughed when the government shuts down and returned to their jobs once the shutdown is over. Since 2019, those workers automatically receive back pay for the time the government was closed.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the number of layoffs and firings could be in the thousands if the current shutdown continues.
Approximately 580,000 federal workers could be furloughed, according to NewsNation estimates based on public personnel data.
NewsNation’s Steph Whiteside and Libbey Dean contributed to this report.
