(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) President Donald Trump has begun slashing federal agencies as Democrats hold federal funding hostage amid negotiations to reopen the government. More than 4,000 federal workers across several agencies are set to be laid off.
Trump announced the move on Oct. 2 via Truth Social, writing: “I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity.”
Russ Vought, director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, confirmed the layoffs Friday, tweeting that the Reductions in Force (RIFs) “have begun.”
The RIFs have begun.
— Russ Vought (@russvought) October 10, 2025
Specifically, the layoffs will affect the following departments and workers: Treasury (1,446); Health and Human Services (1,100–1,200 employees); Education (466); Commerce (315); Energy (187); Homeland Security (176); and the Environmental Protection Agency (20–30).
The Trump administration detailed the mass firings in a court filing in response to a federal judge’s request amid a lawsuit regarding the layoffs.
Other smaller agencies have also faced cuts, including the obscure Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which saw all its staff fired, according to the Daily Caller.
🚨BREAKING – The ENTIRE staff at the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund was RIFed today. https://t.co/q2pn6y52E1 pic.twitter.com/NeT3dSIUT8
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 10, 2025
As reported by Politico, dozens of CDC officials have also been terminated, including the entire staff from the agency’s Washington office and other workers at the CDC’s Global Health Center and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Officials in the Epidemic Intelligence Service, Laboratory Leadership Service, Public Health Infrastructure Center and Office of Science were also ousted.
