Russ Vought Announces Firings of Federal Workers: ‘The RIFs Have Begun’

Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced on Friday that his office has started firing federal workers, writing on X that “the RIFs [reduction-in-force] have begun.”

A spokesperson for the budget office told The Associated Press that the layoffs are “substantial,” without providing further details. Ahead of the Oct. 1 government shutdown, President Donald Trump’s administration instructed federal agencies to submit plans for workforce reductions in programs whose funding had expired, lacked alternate financial support, or conflicted with the president’s policy priorities.

During a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump clarified that he’s only focused on cutting Democratic programs, saying, “That’s the way it works. They wanted to do this, so we will give them a little taste of their own medicine.” Notably, on Truth Social last week, the president made light of the firing of federal workers, comparing Vought to the Grim Reaper in a bizarre video.

While Trump and his allies have continued to blame the left for the shutdown, broadcasting the dubious

claim that Democrats want to use taxpayer dollars to fund health care for “illegal aliens,” a growing number of Republicans are pushing back. On Wednesday, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) posted on X, writing, “Remember, the swamp loves the threat of a shutdown. By withholding funding for things Americans want, they can get funding for things nobody wants.”