Trump Admin Official Says Government Shutdown an Opportunity for Mass Layoffs

‘We will be looking for opportunities to do that,’ OMB Director Russell Vought says.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russel Vought, joined by Vice President JD Vance, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), speaks at the White House on Sept. 29, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) signaled Tuesday that the government shutdown that began today is an opportunity to carry out mass federal layoffs.

When asked about reports that hundreds of thousands of federal workers could lose their jobs during the process, OMB Director Russell Vought said that the White House has been aiming to shrink the size of the federal government.