President Donald Trump called on Republicans to use the government shutdown to “clear out dead wood” after suggestions it could be used as a tool to slash the federal workforce.
“Republicans must use this opportunity of Democrat forced closure to clear out dead wood, waste, and fraud. Billions of Dollars can be saved. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he wrote in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday.
The federal government has entered its first shutdown in six years after Congress failed to break a funding deadlock and pass a measure to keep agencies running.
The government funding dispute largely centers around whether to include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies in the spending bill. Democrats say health care protections must be preserved, while Republicans say that funding and policy should be handled separately.
Trump has threatened to use the shutdown to carry out layoffs if it continues.
On Tuesday, when asked about whether as many as 300,000 workers could lose their jobs, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought told Fox Business: “Let it be said there are all manners of authorities to be able to keep this administration’s policy agenda moving forward, and that includes reducing the size and scope of the federal government, and we will be looking for opportunities to do that.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
