Federal Layoffs Begin Amid Government Shutdown
Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget director. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The Trump administration has begun implementing layoffs of federal employees as the government shutdown continues. “The RIFs have begun,” announced White House budget director Russell Vought on X, referring to the “reduction-in-force” notices required for dismissing federal workers, according to CNBC News.
While the total number of affected employees has not yet been disclosed, a White House official told The Washington Post that the number would be “substantial.” Vought did not specify which federal agencies would face cuts, The New York Times reported.
Legal battles over the move are already underway—federal employee unions filed lawsuits late last month challenging the layoffs. President Trump has previously warned of potential cuts targeting what he has described as “Democrat-controlled” agencies.
The Post also noted that Vought helped lay the foundation for these actions through his work on Project 2025, a plan designed to significantly streamline the federal bureaucracy and return more authority to the executive branch.
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