President Donald Trump just dropped a bombshell that has federal workers on edge amid an already grueling government shutdown.
Newsmax reported that as the shutdown drags into its seventh day, Trump has signaled a potential break from tradition by suggesting not all furloughed federal employees might get their back pay, while using the deadlock to push for major cuts to government programs and blaming Democrats for the mess.
On Tuesday, Trump took a hard stance, calling out what he sees as unnecessary bloat in the federal workforce. His words were sharp, hinting at a purge of sorts with comments about reducing "waste, fraud, and abuse" in government operations.
“There are some people that really don't deserve to be taken care of, and we'll take care of them in a different way,” Trump declared, leaving many to wonder just what that cryptic "different way" entails.
Pressed on who exactly he meant, Trump dodged specifics, saying, “It depends on who we're talking about,” which only fuels speculation about targeted layoffs or program slashes.
A fresh White House memo from the Office of Management and Budget adds weight to the uncertainty, stating that back pay isn’t guaranteed without new congressional approval, despite a 2019 law mandating compensation post-shutdown.
This flies in the face of decades of precedent where both furloughed and essential workers were reimbursed once funding resumed.
Trump, however, insisted he’s on solid ground legally, claiming, “I follow the law, and what the law says is correct,” though the ambiguity leaves hundreds of thousands of employees in limbo.
Republicans are backing this hardline approach, seeing it as leverage to force Democrats to the table, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., noting it could "turn up the urgency" for compromise.
Trump himself pointed fingers squarely at the opposition, dubbing them "shutdown Democrats" and suggesting they’ve put federal workers at "great risk and jeopardy" with their intransigence.
When asked why some workers shouldn’t receive back pay, he deflected with a sly jab: “Ask the Democrats that question,” as if the other side holds all the cards (President Donald Trump).
Amid the standoff, Trump sees a silver lining, framing the shutdown as a chance to slash “billions and billions of dollars” from what he calls inefficient programs.
He credited Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for handing him this “advantage” through the shutdown, while questioning if Schumer even wields influence anymore—a subtle but pointed dig at Democratic leadership.
With OMB Director Russell Vought poised to enact permanent reductions, Trump teased upcoming announcements on specific cuts, though he kept details under wraps for now, promising clarity in “four to five days” if the deadlock persists.
