Trump threatens mass firings, invokes Project 2025 as shutdown continues
President Trump invoked Project 2025 while threatening mass firings as the government shutdown continued with no sign of a deal, saying he would meet with OMB Director Russell Vought — a co‑author of Project 2025 — to decide which agencies to cut and whether cuts would be temporary or permanent. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned layoffs are "likely... in the thousands," Vought told Republicans they could begin in "a day or two" and said the administration would use "all manner of authorities," while analysts note a lapse in appropriations can remove payroll floors and enable reduction‑in‑force notices.
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Economy
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🔍 Key Facts
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned federal layoffs are “likely… in the thousands,” and the White House message blamed Democrats for blocking funding and, the report said, supporting taxpayer-funded health care for undocumented immigrants.
- The Office of Management and Budget is actively 'gaming out' layoffs; OMB Director Russell Vought is meeting with President Trump to decide which agencies may face cuts and whether those cuts would be temporary or permanent.
- Russell Vought — identified by reports as a co‑author of Project 2025 who wrote the Heritage-linked chapter on the executive office of the president — told Republicans layoffs would begin “in a day or two” and said the administration will use “all manner of authorities” to pursue its agenda, including reducing the size and scope of government.
- President Trump explicitly invoked the name 'Project 2025' in public warnings about mass firings and posted on Truth Social that he would meet with Vought to determine which agencies to cut and whether cuts would be permanent.
- Policy analyst Richard Stern of the Heritage Foundation explained that a lapse in appropriations removes statutory 'payroll floors,' enabling the administration to issue Reduction in Force (RIF) notices and cut staff during a shutdown.
- Reporting describes the legal mechanism this way: statutory program requirements would remain in effect, but funding‑floor constraints tied to appropriations lapse during a shutdown, giving the administration discretion to reduce staff while still meeting legally required services.
- PBS reported there were no signs of progress between lawmakers, meaning the government would remain shut down another day, and described the president as 'digging in' and warning of far‑reaching consequences tied to the shutdown stalemate.
📍 Contextual Background
- Russell Vought served as the Director (chief) of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
- OMB is the abbreviation for the Office of Management and Budget, an office within the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for assisting the President in preparing the federal budget and supervising its administration in executive agencies.
📰 Sources (5)
Trump threatens mass firings as shutdown continues with no signs of potential deal
New information:
- The article reports President Trump invoked the name 'Project 2025' in connection with his warnings about mass firings.
- PBS notes there were 'no signs of progress between lawmakers on Thursday,' ensuring the government would remain shut down another day.
- The report frames the president as 'digging in' and warning of far-reaching consequences tied to the shutdown stalemate.
The agency staff Vought might recommend cutting and whether the cuts will be permanent
New information:
- Quotes and wording from President Trump's Truth Social post saying he will meet with Russell Vought to decide which agencies to cut and whether cuts will be temporary or permanent.
- A named policy analyst (Richard Stern of the Heritage Foundation) explaining legally how a lapse in appropriations removes 'payroll floors' and enables the administration to issue RIF (reduction in force) notices to cut staff.
- Explicit description in the article of the mechanism: that statutory program requirements remain but funding-floor constraints tied to appropriations lapse, allowing the administration discretion to reduce staff while still meeting legally required services.
Who is Russ Vought? What to know about Trump's OMB director ahead of shutdown layoffs
New information:
- Profile details on Russ Vought: CBS reports Vought is a co‑author of Project 2025 and authored the Heritage‑linked chapter on the executive office of the president.
- Direct reporting that Vought told Republicans federal layoffs would begin in 'a day or two.'
- Quoted Vought line to Fox Business: administration will use 'all manner of authorities' to pursue agenda, including reducing government size and scope (reiterated in CBS piece).
White House says federal layoffs could hit 'thousands' ahead of Trump, Vought meeting
New information:
- Direct quote from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying layoffs are 'likely... in the thousands.'
- Confirmation that OMB is actively 'gaming out' layoffs and that OMB Director Russell Vought will meet with President Trump to discuss which agencies may face cuts and whether they are temporary or permanent.
- Contextual political quote/claim from Leavitt accusing Democrats of blocking funding to keep the government open and alleging they support taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants (political framing included in the report).