The federal government is bloated beyond compare. And there needs to be a change.
Now the Trump administration is about to clean house and things could get ugly.
Trump’s Strategic Moves During Shutdown
President Trump announced on Monday that additional government initiatives backed by Democrats are set for permanent elimination amid the ongoing shutdown, framing it as an opportunity to dismantle unwanted programs. The administration intends to unveil a comprehensive roster of these targeted “socialist” efforts this Friday, highlighting a shift in federal priorities.
“The Democrats are getting killed on the shutdown because we’re closing up programs that are Democrat programs that we were opposed to,” Mr. Trump said. “And they’re never going to come back, in many cases. So we’re able to do things that we were unable to do before.”
Earlier this month, the White House Office of Management and Budget halted $8 billion allocated for green energy initiatives across 16 states, each with Democratic senators. Funding for infrastructure developments in New York and Chicago has been paused for evaluation, though not yet fully revoked. Trump indicated further cuts are imminent.
“We’re going to have a list of them on Friday, closing up some of the most egregious socialist, semi-communist — probably not full communist, we’re saving that for New York, but semi communist programs — and we’re closing them up,” he said. “We’re not closing up Republican programs because we think they work.”
Impacts on Federal Workforce and Agencies
The administration has already begun phasing out certain operations by reducing staff, with last week’s layoffs affecting around 4,000 employees in various departments. Reports from CNN indicate the Education Department has drastically reduced personnel overseeing special education. Similarly, media sources have noted cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s violence prevention teams and other units.
In a Tuesday social media update, OMB signaled additional workforce reductions are on the horizon as it prepares to endure the Democrats’ stance.
“Pay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs, and wait,” OMB said.
OMB warned in a social media post on Tuesday that more reductions in force are coming as it “is making every preparation to batten down the hatches and ride out the Democrats’ intransigence.”
Pushback from Democrats and Legal Battles
Lawmakers from Maryland and Virginia convened a press event outside OMB headquarters in Washington on Tuesday to condemn the widespread dismissals.
“Shame on [OMB Director Russell] Vought and Donald Trump,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Democrat, said. “When they tell you that the shutdown is making them fire these federal employees, do not believe it for a moment. That is a big lie.”
“It is also illegal, and we will see them in court,” he added.
The progressive group Democracy Forward is challenging the recent layoffs legally, with a court session on their urgent request for an injunction slated for Wednesday.
“We are going to fight these illegal layoffs, to hold this administration accountable to the law and to make sure that whatever federal workers do once the government is again funded, there are people who have their backs,” said Rob Shriver, managing director of Democracy Forward’s civil service initiative. “We’re rooting and working for their success.”
These Democratic-supported programs represent an assault on our rights as Americans by promoting overreaching government control, squandering taxpayer dollars on inefficient socialist schemes, and infringing on individual freedoms through excessive regulation and wealth redistribution. By permanently axing such initiatives during the shutdown, the Trump administration is safeguarding constitutional principles, reducing bureaucratic bloat, and empowering citizens to thrive without undue federal interference, ultimately restoring fiscal responsibility and personal liberty.
