"They started this thing," Trump told reporters during an event in the Oval Office, calling the job cuts "Democrat-oriented." Trump has repeatedly threatened to fire federal workers during the shutdown standoff, in its 10th day on Friday, and has suggested his administration will aim primarily at parts of the government championed by Democrats. Labor unions representing federal workers have sued to stop the layoffs, saying they would be illegal during a shutdown. The announcement came on the same day that many federal workers were due to get reduced paychecks that do not include any pay for the days since the shutdown began. Those layoffs could hit the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service, which has been targeted for steep job cuts this year.

Source: bd News24 October 11, 2025 20:03 UTC