White House begins mass federal firings as shutdown fight escalates

The Trump administration has begun mass firing of federal workers, an unprecedented move to pressure Democrats as the government shutdown hits its tenth day.

Russ Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, confirmed the layoffs Friday on X, writing that the “RIFs have begun” — shorthand for reduction in force, a bureaucratic term now carrying political weight.

“This goes far beyond what usually happens in a shutdown,” one longtime official noted. “Workers aren’t just being furloughed — they’re being terminated.”