Published on October 15, 2025 • Last updated 11 minutes ago • 1-minute read
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Russ Vought, the Director of the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB), indicated that the number of layoffs during the ongoing US government shutdown could exceed 10,000.
Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS /AFP
WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the White House announced that it is likely to lay off at least 10,000 federal employees as the government shutdown continues, with Republican President Donald Trump intensifying pressure on Democrats.
The shutdown has now entered its third week, with Congress at an impasse over spending, and Trump is following through on his threats to significantly reduce the workforce in response.
In an interview on the Charlie Kirk show, Vought stated, “I think we’ll probably end up being north of 10,000,” when asked about the potential number of layoffs. “We want to be very aggressive where we can be in shuttering the bureaucracy.”
Court documents from the Department of Justice revealed that over 4,000 employees were terminated on Friday, with the US Treasury and the departments of health, education, and housing being the most affected. Vought described this as a “snapshot” and indicated that more layoffs are expected.
Trump has warned that if Democrats continue to reject a House-passed resolution to fund the government through late November, it would lead to widespread layoffs targeting workers perceived to be aligned with the opposition party. The president has also pledged to find a way to ensure that troops receive their pay, as they face the prospect of going without their paychecks for the first time, leading to long lines at food banks for service members.