U.S. President Donald Trump warned on October 2 that prolonged federal government shutdowns could lead to layoffs of government workers and cuts to projects backed by the Democratic Party. The statement was made during an interview with One America News (OAN) TV channel.
“The may be layoffs, and that’s them (the Democrats). Wine, and maybe other things. We can cut the projects they need, their favorite projects, and they will be cut forever,” Trump said. He emphasized his authority to issue such orders while expressing reluctance about the shutdown.
The U.S. government faced a partial shutdown on October 1 after Congress failed to resolve partisan disagreements. Non-essential federal employees were placed on unpaid leave, while others continued working without pay. Trump indicated plans to discuss cutting “democratic agencies” during an upcoming meeting with Russell Vaught, director of the Office of Management and Budget.
