President Donald Trump just made a big mistake. He warned that layoffs and mass firings would be possible without the prevention of a government shutdown by Congress. In a press briefing last week, he shared his concerns about the break-neck negotiations. As these talks to avert the shutdown continue to stall, he cautioned, “There will begin to be furloughs.” It was a sentiment repeated by President Trump’s economic advisor, Kevin Hassett. He cautioned that Trump will “begin taking drastic action” if the next continuing resolutions don’t appear.
In light of the impending shutdown, these conversations about federal employee compensation are increasing. And tens of thousands of these furloughed workers Trump said, won’t even get back pay. He continued, “I mean, I would say, again, it really depends on who we’re talking about. Rather than clarify the broader situation, he confused matters by stating, “It actually really varies on who you’re speaking about.” She immediately sounded alarm bells within the federal workforce that counts on retroactive pay during these times.
This was a significant change from his administration’s guidance earlier this year. They had previously committed to restoring furloughed workers with back pay immediately upon the conclusion of the shutdown, so his comments have drawn wide condemnation. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, responded firmly: “It is inconsistent with the Trump administration’s own guidance from mere days ago, which clearly and correctly states that furloughed employees will receive retroactive pay for the time they were out of work as quickly as possible once the shutdown is over.” Kelley continued to condemn the idea that federal workers are pawns in political negotiations.
We know tensions are high right now in Washington. In rebuttal, Trump’s administration has taken steps to freeze $2.1 billion promised to Chicago projects, accusing Democrats of causing the lack of a funding agreement to materialize. The president has tried to spin the shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to destroy Democratic priorities and advance his agenda. He stated, “Here’s what it would have said about the economy,” emphasizing his view of the economic implications tied to the ongoing political standoff.
Aside from that hubbub over the shutdown, Trump has been getting heat for his statements about New York’s mayoral race. He even challenged fellow NYer Zohran Mamdani once Eric Adams dropped out of the race, an indication of his interest in local political underdog initiatives.
The latest example was a recent social media post where Trump shared a cartoonish meme image of himself firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. That image underscores his continued anger at the Fed’s monetary policy.
While grappling with domestic challenges, Trump has outlined a plan to resolve the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Yet his administration is coming under growing pressure to address pressing domestic economic challenges. Simultaneously, they need to deal with foreign policy initiatives that have an international focus.
As for the promise of permanent job losses, Trump teased that he would be able to provide greater detail within “four or five days.” That’s all depending on whether negotiations on Capitol Hill between Democrats and Republicans get anywhere.
Trump’s administration infamously found ways to cancel nearly $8 billion in climate funding intended for these blue states. This brave move has drawn fire from all sides. Speculation has arisen about Trump considering minting a commemorative $1 coin featuring his likeness for the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.