Trump budget chief says firings are coming in 'one to two' days due to shutdown

The Trump administration will start firing federal workers in the next 1-2 days if the shutdown continues, OMB Director Russell Vought told House Republicans.

WASHINGTON — Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told House Republicans on Wednesday, the first day of the government shutdown, that the Trump administration will start firing federal employees in the next “one to two” days, according to two GOP sources on the conference call.

Vought, who issued a memo last week threatening mass firings in the federal workforce in the event of a shutdown, didn’t outline specifics to Republicans about those plans and argued the layoffs wouldn’t be happening if it weren’t for Democrats.

Moments later, in the White House briefing room, Vice President JD Vance confirmed layoffs would happen shortly unless the government reopens.

"We are going to have to lay some people off if the shutdown continues. We don’t like that. We don’t necessarily want to do it," Vance told reporters. "But we’re going to do what we have to keep the American people’s essential services continuing to run."

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