CBS Poll: Nearly 40% Blame Trump and Republicans for Shutdown as White House Threatens Mass Layoffs
Nearly 40% of Americans in a CBS News poll blame President Trump and Republicans for the government shutdown, while 30% blame Democrats — who say they will not fully reopen the government without an agreement to extend Affordable Care Act premium subsidies. The White House has warned mass federal layoffs could be announced as soon as Friday and hit "thousands," with administration officials (including NEC director Kevin Hassett and OMB director Russell Vought) saying firings could start if negotiations are "going nowhere"; reporting also indicates more than 1 million federal workers are furloughed or working without pay and many are skeptical they will receive back pay.
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📌 Key Facts
- A CBS News poll found nearly 40% of Americans blame President Trump and Republicans for the government shutdown, while about 30% blame Democrats.
- The White House warned the first round of mass layoffs tied to the shutdown could be announced as soon as Friday, an update reported on-camera by CBS reporter Nancy Cordes.
- Administration officials, including NEC adviser Kevin Hassett, said layoffs would begin "if the president decides that the negotiations are absolutely going nowhere;" OMB director Russell Vought previously said the administration could start firing in "a day or two."
- President Trump publicly blamed Democrats for the shutdown and said whether layoffs occur is "up to them," framing the layoffs as leverage in negotiations.
- More than 1 million federal workers are either furloughed or required to work without pay as a result of the shutdown.
- Reporting ties recent personnel moves to the administration-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and related advisory-board pressure; Fox also cited a deferred-resignation program with more than 100,000 federal employees scheduled to leave.
- Unions have sued to challenge the administration's layoff threats; reporting also notes OMB previously proposed roughly $8 billion in cuts to clean-energy support.
- Multiple federal employees (including from HUD and Veterans Affairs) gave on-the-record anonymous accounts of low morale, financial strain, and skepticism about actually receiving legally required back pay after a shutdown.
📚 Contextual Background
- 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.
- Russell Vought served as the Director (chief) of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
📰 Sources (6)
CBS News poll shows who Americans blame for government shutdown as Trump threatens layoffs
New information:
- CBS News poll result: nearly 40% of Americans blame President Trump and Republicans for the government shutdown.
- CBS News poll result: 30% of Americans blame Democrats for the shutdown.
- Contextual quote/position: Democrats say they will not fully reopen government without an agreement to extend Affordable Care Act premium subsidies — framing the political impasse tied to the shutdown and the administration's threat to pursue layoffs.
Trump says government shutdown layoffs are 'up to' Dems as standoff continues
New information:
- Direct presidential quote blaming Democrats and saying layoffs are "up to them."
- Article cites a deferred-resignation program with more than 100,000 federal employees 'scheduled to leave.'
- Kevin Hassett (NEC) quoted saying layoffs will start 'if the president decides that the negotiations are absolutely going nowhere' and expressing hope Democrats will be 'reasonable.'
- Contextual note tying prior DOGE advisory-board pressure to ongoing personnel decisions.
Trump adviser: Layoffs will start if shutdown negotiations are "going nowhere"
New information:
- Kevin Hassett, National Economic Council director, told CNN that layoffs would start 'if the president decides that the negotiations are absolutely going nowhere.'
- Axios quotes Hassett explicitly linking the trigger for layoffs to a presidential judgment about negotiations and providing his characterization of 'Democrat Agencies' as shorthand for agencies favored by Democrats.
- Article reiterates OMB director Russell Vought's prior statement that the administration would begin firing in 'a day or two' and notes recent union litigation challenging the threats and OMB's earlier $8 billion cuts to clean‑energy support.
For federal workers, a year of turmoil and uncertainty just got worse
New information:
- Provides an updated, article‑level estimate and reporting that more than 1 million federal workers are either furloughed or required to work without pay.
- Names the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as created by executive order on Inauguration Day and ties recent layoffs/resignations to that entity.
- Includes on‑the‑record anonymous quotes from multiple federal employees (HUD and Veterans Affairs) describing morale, financial strain, and distrust about receiving back pay.
- References the 2019 law that requires back pay after a shutdown and reports workers' skepticism about actually receiving it given administration actions.
Government shutdown mass layoffs could begin today, White House says
New information:
- The White House warned the first round of mass layoffs resulting from the government shutdown could be announced on Friday.
- CBS News reporter Nancy Cordes attributed the update to the White House (on-camera video report).