On Thursday, White House press director Karoline Leavitt indicated that the ongoing federal layoffs could potentially total in the thousands, just before President Trump’s meeting with management and budget director Russell Vert.
“It’s probably thousands,” Leavitt remarked when asked about the layoffs. She mentioned that this was a considerable concern for the management and budget office as well as the White House team, who needed to address it immediately.
She added that such conversations would not be necessary if Democrats chose to keep the government functioning.
Trump convened a meeting to explore what he called an “unprecedented opportunity” to evaluate recommendations for budget cuts across federal agencies.
The president expressed intentions to meet with the Budget Director “to determine which Democratic institutions may be deemed politically questionable and hence suitable for cuts—be those cuts temporary or permanent.”
When queried on the term “democratic institutions,” Leavitt explained that the administration is targeting agencies that they believe don’t align with the president’s values.
“We’re analyzing institutions that we see as wasteful of taxpayer dollars and not in sync with our administration’s values,” Leavitt stated.
She also pointed the finger at Democrats for the layoffs, attributing them to the shutdown.
“Unfortunately, these discussions are taking place because we currently lack funding for the federal government. The president aims to be responsible with taxpayer dollars, especially when our balance sheet appears quite strained,” Leavitt noted.
Earlier, Trump suggested on Tuesday that his administration might cut programs during government shutdowns, with the Budget Office having sent a memo last week in preparation for extensive layoffs.
The president also mentioned to an American news outlet that Democrats could bear responsibility for these layoffs, saying, “That’s their fault.”
He continued, “And that could extend to other areas. We have the ability to cut projects that they favor, and those could be eliminated permanently. You can reduce anything that wasn’t approved in the first place, and that likely will happen.”
In its first public announcement, the administration stated Wednesday that it would slash funding for transportation and energy projects in New York City and 16 predominantly Democratic-leaning states.
