Gingrich Praises Trump’s Actions Amid Government Shutdown

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) expressed admiration for President Trump’s “willingness to brave the heat” following the furlough of thousands of federal workers due to the ongoing government shutdown.

During a recent radio show with John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AM, Gingrich noted, “What’s interesting… is that President Trump has started systematically laying people off permanently.” He suggested that Trump believes he can significantly alter the federal government even as the shutdown persists.

Gingrich remarked on Trump’s patience, indicating that despite the chaos of the shutdown, the President is engaged with more pressing international matters, like signing peace treaties in the Middle East. “He doesn’t really care… he has other big things to deal with,” he added.

However, Gingrich raised a concern: if government operations remained halted and service members didn’t receive their next paycheck by October 15, it could create a serious situation. “I think Republicans should consider passing a military pay bill… to see if Democrats would vote against paying military personnel,” he suggested.

The conversation also touched upon the plight of unpaid Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, which Gingrich stressed lawmakers need to tackle. He pointed out that the shutdown is largely the responsibility of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and speculated that Trump would continue to wait it out as needed.

A Friday filing from the Department of Justice revealed that around 4,100 federal employees have been laid off, including 1,446 from the Treasury Department and several from the CDC, notably outbreak investigators. This move has drawn criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans, who argue that it treats federal employees as political pawns.

In response, President Trump directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure military personnel are paid promptly, especially after House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated there would be no standalone bill to fund military personnel and FAA controllers. A Department of Defense official stated that approximately $8 billion in unobligated funds could be utilized for mid-month paychecks if funding issues continue beyond October 15.