White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Thursday that thousands of federal workers face job losses due to the ongoing government shutdown, citing imminent mass layoffs that could result in permanent workforce reductions within days. The White House had previously warned of “imminent” cuts, framing the crisis as a consequence of Democratic opposition to Republican priorities.

President Donald Trump, speaking on Truth Social, urged congressional Republicans to leverage the shutdown to eliminate “dead wood, waste, and fraud,” vowing to save “billions of Dollars” through what he called a “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” agenda. He reiterated his criticism of Democrats, claiming they had created an “unprecedented opportunity” by forcing the government into closure.

The stalemate centers on competing budget proposals. Democrats introduced a $1.5 trillion continuing resolution (CR) that includes reinstating Medicaid funding for non-citizens and restoring the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, while Republicans pushed a cleaner 7-week CR to keep agencies operational. The Republican bill passed the House but has failed to secure Senate approval, with a vote scheduled for Friday.

Leavitt emphasized that the shutdown’s consequences would not occur “if the Democrats had voted to keep the government open,” accusing them of lying about supporting tax-payer benefits for undocumented immigrants. She highlighted Trump’s 2021 policy blocking such funding as a “very popular” measure to ensure healthcare benefits go exclusively to “law-abiding American citizens.”

Trump further criticized Democratic leadership, alleging they sought to “open our borders to the criminals of the world” and divert healthcare funds to “illegal aliens.” He claimed to have met with OMB Director Russ Vought to identify “Democrat Agencies… a political SCAM” for potential cuts.

The White House also announced $18 billion in withheld infrastructure funding for New York City, home to Democratic leaders Rep. Hakeem Jeffreys and Senator Chuck Schumer. As the shutdown entered its second day, Leavitt confirmed OMB was “working on trimming the federal workforce,” with layoffs likely affecting thousands.

A separate development saw a federal court rule against the Trump administration’s religious exemption for the Little Sisters of the Poor regarding contraceptive mandates.